Dictionary Definition
hereditament n : any property (real or personal
or mixed) that can be inherited
Extensive Definition
In law, a
hereditament (from
Lat.
hereditare, to inherit, heres, heir) is any kind of property that can be inherited.
Hereditaments are divided into corporeal and
incorporeal. Corporeal hereditaments are "such as affect the
senses, and may be seen and handled by the body; incorporeal are
not the subject of sensation, can neither be seen nor handled, are
creatures of the mind, and exist only in contemplation" (Blackstone,
Commentaries). An example of a corporeal hereditament is land held
in freehold.
Examples of incorporeal hereditaments are:
hereditary
titles of honor or dignity, heritable titles of office,
Prescriptive
Barony, rights of
way, tithes, advowsons, pensions,
annuities, rents,
franchises,
etc. The term is still used in the phrase "lands, tenements and
hereditaments" to describe property in land, as distinguished from
goods and chattels or
movable property.