obtenant

Obtenant is a noun and participial form derived from the verb obtenir, meaning to obtain. In English-language legal and historical writing, obtenant refers to the person who obtains or receives a grant, title, right, or estate. The term is most often found in translations from French or Latin, especially in older documents, and is generally considered archaic in modern usage. The obtenant is typically described in relation to other parties such as the grantor, who transfers the title, or the beneficiary who ultimately receives the property or privilege.

Etymology and forms: Obtenir is the French verb for "to obtain." Obtenant reflects the present participle form in French and has been adopted in English legal phrasing to denote the obtaining party. The English form is rare outside historical or specific jurisdictional texts.

Usage and contexts: Obtenant appears in feudal or contract records, land deeds, and other instruments where identifying the recipient of a grant is necessary. It functions as a label for the recipient role, not as a description of a relationship or title itself.

Modern usage and alternatives: In contemporary English, writers typically use "recipient," "grantee," "beneficiary," or "transferee" instead of obtenant. The term may be encountered in scholarly translations or in discussions of historical legal systems that used French or Latin terminology.

See also: Obtain, Grantee, Beneficiary, Transferee, Feudal tenure, Property law.