res nullius

noun

Something that has no owner and is not subject to the jurisdiction of any state, but is susceptible to national appropriation.

OriginLatin rēs nūllīus →
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Meanings

noun
  1. lawSomething that has no owner and is not subject to the jurisdiction of any state, but is susceptible to national appropriation.

Origin

  1. Latinrēs nūllīus“nobody's thing”
  2. Englishres nullius

From Latin rēs nūllīus (“nobody's thing”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

res nullius. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/res%20nullius

MLA

“res nullius.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/res%20nullius. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “res nullius,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/res%20nullius.

Source: res nullius on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.