partible

Partible is an adjective meaning capable of being divided, especially in relation to property or inheritance. The term derives from Latin partibilis, from part‑ “part” + -ibilis “able to be.” In English legal and historical writing, partible describes estates, rights, or assets that can be apportioned among multiple recipients.

In historical contexts, partible inheritance refers to the division of an estate among heirs, typically among children or other close relatives. Many medieval and early modern European systems allowed or required equal or proportional shares, which often produced smaller, fragmented holdings over successive generations. This stood in contrast to impartible (or entail) regimes, where the estate could not be divided but would pass intact to a single heir, preserving the estate’s size.

In modern law, partibility enters discussions of co‑ownership and succession. Property held in common by two or more owners is often partitionable, meaning it can be divided or liquidated and the proceeds or portions distributed. Legal mechanisms include partition actions, which determine how to divide property, or partition by sale. In civil law systems, terms like partage (French) or partición (Spanish) describe formal processes of dividing an estate among heirs.

Partibility also appears in broader discussions of asset division, including corporations, trusts, and other arrangements where interests can be apportioned without entire dispossession. While terminology and practices vary by jurisdiction, partible remains a standard descriptor for property or rights that may be divided among multiple beneficiaries. See also primogeniture and entail.