Coverture Definition

kŭvər-chər, -cho͝or
noun
A covering.
Webster's New World
A refuge.
Webster's New World
A concealment or disguise.
Webster's New World
The status of a married woman.
Webster's New World
Under the common law, the legal condition of a woman, whereby her legal existence was largely submerged into that of her husband so that he had almost unlimited control over her personal and real property and she could not enter into a legally binding contract or exercise any power or right over her own property without her husband’s consent. In every state except community property states, statutes have been enacted that have effectively abolished coverture by giving wives almost unlimited control over their personal and real property free of their husbands’ authority, claims, or interests.
Webster's New World Law

Other Word Forms of Coverture

Noun

Singular:
coverture
Plural:
covertures

Origin of Coverture

  • Middle English from Old French from covert covered covert

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English, from Old French coverture, from covrir (“to cover”)

    From Wiktionary

Coverture Sentence Examples

  • All property which either husband or wife acquires during the marriage, other than by gift, devise or descent, is their common property, and during coverture may be disposed of by the husband only; on the death of the husband the widow has one-half of the property, which they held in common.

  • Under the present constitution they are "fully emancipated from all disability on account of coverture," and are placed on an equality with their husbands in acquiring and disposing of property and in making contracts relative thereto.

  • A widow is entitled to a dower in one-third of the real estate of which her husband was seized at any time during coverture.

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Words Starting With

CCOCOV

Words Ending With

EREURE

Unscrambles

coverture

Words Starting With C and Ending With E

Starts With C & Ends With EStarts With CO & Ends With EStarts With C & Ends With RE

Word Length

9 Letter Words9 Letter Words Starting With C9 Letter Words Ending With E