adverse possession

noun

A means of acquiring title to another's real property without compensation by occupying the property in a manner that has under common law the requirements of being actual, open and notorious, exclusive, hostile, under cover of claim or right, and continuous for a certain number of years.

Similar
usucaptionusucapionprescription
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Meanings

nounadverse possession (countable and uncountable, plural adverse possessions)

plural adverse possessions · alternative hostile possession

  1. countableuncountablelawA means of acquiring title to another's real property without compensation by occupying the property in a manner that has under common law the requirements of being actual, open and notorious, exclusive, hostile, under cover of claim or right, and continuous for a certain number of years.

    Adverse possession was a legal maneuver straight out of the Sovereign Citizen canon.

    2019, Anthony McCann, Shadowlands: Fear and Freedom at the Oregon Standoff, Bloomsbury, →ISBN

    Synonyms: usucaption, usucapion, prescription

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA means of acquiring title to another's real property without compensation by occupying the property in a manner that has under common law the requirements of being actual, open and notorious, exclusive, hostile, under cover of claim or right, and continuous for a certain number of years.

Similar
usucaptionusucapionprescription
Also see
hostile possessionusucapion

Translations

Afrikaans verjaring
  • verjaringlegal principle
Chinese Mandarin 逆權侵佔 /逆权侵占
  • 逆權侵佔 /逆权侵占 (nìquán qīnzhàn)legal principle
Czech vydržení
  • vydrženílegal principle
Danish hævd
  • hævdlegal principle
Dutch verkrijgende verjaring
  • verkrijgende verjaringlegal principle
Finnish kuulutuslainhuuto nautinnan perusteella
  • kuulutuslainhuuto nautinnan perusteellalegal principle
French prescription acquisitive, usucapion
  • prescription acquisitivelegal principle
  • usucapionlegal principle
German Ersitzung
  • Ersitzunglegal principle
Greek χρησικτησία
  • χρησικτησία (chrisiktisía)legal principle
Italian usucapione, prescrizione acquisitiva
  • usucapionelegal principle
  • prescrizione acquisitivalegal principle
Japanese 使用取得
  • 使用取得 (shiyō shutoku)legal principle
Korean 사용취득
  • 사용취득 (sayongchwideuk)legal principle
Polish zasiedzenie
  • zasiedzenielegal principle
Portuguese usucapião, prescrição aquisitiva
  • usucapiãolegal principle
  • prescrição aquisitivalegal principle
Romanian posesie adversă
  • posesie adversălegal principle
Russian приобрета́тельная да́вность
  • приобрета́тельная да́вность (priobretátelʹnaja dávnostʹ)legal principle
Spanish usucapión, prescripción adquisitiva
  • usucapiónlegal principle
  • prescripción adquisitivalegal principle
Swedish hävd
  • hävdlegal principle
Thai การครอบครองปรปักษ์, อายุความ
  • การครอบครองปรปักษ์legal principle
  • อายุความ (aa-yú-kwaam)legal principle
Ukrainian набувальна давність
  • набувальна давність (nabuvalʹna davnistʹ)legal principle
Welsh meddiant gwrthgefn, hirfeddiant
  • meddiant gwrthgefnlegal principle
  • hirfeddiantlegal principle
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: adverse possession on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.