ad coelum

noun

The principle by which property rights extend vertically upwards and, sometimes, downwards from a property; it is used to describe air rights or no-fly zones, as well as rights to resources under the soil, such as mineral rights, among others.

OriginLatin ad →
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Meanings

noun
  1. lawThe principle by which property rights extend vertically upwards and, sometimes, downwards from a property; it is used to describe air rights or no-fly zones, as well as rights to resources under the soil, such as mineral rights, among others.

Origin

  1. Latinad“to”
  2. Englishad coelum

Latin ad (“to”) + coelum (“the heavens”) Abbreviated from the Latin Cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum (et ad inferos) meaning "for whoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to Heaven (and down to Hell)." The phrase originally did not include et ad inferos; see Wikipedia article for detailed history.

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Cite this entry
APA

ad coelum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ad%20coelum

MLA

“ad coelum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ad%20coelum. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ad coelum,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ad%20coelum.

Source: ad coelum on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.