superficies

Superficies is a Latin noun meaning surface. In English-language contexts, the term is used mainly in law and in historical or Romance-language usage, rather than as standard mathematical vocabulary. In civil law systems, it denotes a specific real right related to land and buildings; in geometry and general usage, the standard term is surface.

In property law, the right of superficies allows a person (the holder) to use the surface of land and to own structures on it for a defined period, while the soil remains the property of another person (the substrate owner). The right can be created by contract, will, or statute; it can be bought, sold, or inherited, and is typically registered to protect third-party interests. When the term expires or is terminated, ownership of any buildings or improvements may revert to the substrate owner, depending on the applicable law and contract terms. The precise rules governing duration, transfer, and termination vary across jurisdictions.

In mathematics, the standard English term is surface. The Latin plural superficies appears mainly in historical or Latin-based texts and in Romance-language discourse. In modern English geometry, discussions about two-dimensional manifolds, planes, and curved surfaces use the word “surface,” while “superficies” is rarely used outside of historical, legal, or Romance-language contexts.

Etymology traces the word to Latin roots meaning “over” and “appearance” or “facies,” contributing to related terms in several languages such as French droit de superficies and Italian superifici.