Definition

A legal arrangement where a man allocates property for his wife's support after he dies, or the property itself that is set aside for this purpose.

Example

After his passing, the jointure ensured that his wife would have a secure home.

Conversation

I was reading about estate planning, and I came across the term jointure.

Oh really? What does it mean?

It's basically a way to set aside property for a wife after her husband's death.

That sounds important — I can see why people would want to have that arrangement.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Jointure → It is formed from "joint" (from Old French *joint*, meaning joined or connected) and "-ure" (a suffix used to form nouns indicating an action or result). The word "jointure" refers to the act or result of joining, particularly in the context of property or land being joined together in marriage settlements.

Memory Tip

Think of things being 'joined' together ('joint') and the '-ure' indicating the result of that joining. This helps you remember that 'jointure' refers to the joining of property or land.

Visually Confused Words