suus et necessarius heres

noun

su·​us et ne·​ces·​sa·​ri·​us he·​res

ˈsüəˌsetˌnekəˈsärēəsˈhāˌrās

: a family heir including a slave in the paternal power of a decedent at the latter's death who by Roman law becomes sui juris and succeeds to the decedent's property by intestacy or by will

Word History

Etymology

Latin, literally, own and necessary heir

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!