réversion

Réversion is a term used in several contexts in French law and related fields, denoting the return of an asset or a right after a temporary disposition, a pension paid to a survivor, or a statistical phenomenon. It derives from Latin reversio, meaning a turning back.

In civil law, réversion refers to a reversionary interest—the return of property to the grantor, grantor’s heirs, or an designated reversionary holder after the termination of a life estate or other temporary arrangement. For example, if land is conveyed to a person for life, with the property remaining to revert to the original owner or to the owner’s heirs after the life tenant’s death, the future interest is a réversion. The concept differentiates between the present life estate and the future interest that will take effect upon its end.

In social security and pensions, la pension de réversion (survivor’s pension) is a benefit paid to certain relatives or partners of a deceased insured person. Eligibility typically depends on the relationship to the deceased, the length of the marriage or partnership, remarriage status, and income or resources of the survivor. The pension aims to provide financial support to surviving spouses or designated dependents after the death of the contributor.

In statistics and finance, réversion commonly refers to mean reversion—the tendency of a variable to move toward its historical average over time. This concept informs models of asset prices, interest rates, and economic indicators, and it implies that extreme movements are likely to revert toward typical levels in the long run.

See also: reversionary interest; pension de réversion; mean reversion.