primogeniture
2 synonyms and 3 antonyms for primogeniture, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The rule or custom by which the eldest child, historically the eldest son, inherits a parent's title, land or estate ahead of any siblings.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
right of the firstborn
seniority right
Antonyms
How to use primogeniture
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
male-preference primogeniture
absolute primogeniture
the law of primogeniture
abolish primogeniture
Formal, largely historical and legal; encountered mainly in history, law and discussion of royal succession.
Etymology
From medieval Latin primogenitura, from Latin primogenitus meaning 'firstborn', from primus 'first' and genitus 'born'.
Full origin of primogeniture →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between primogeniture and ultimogeniture?
Primogeniture gives the inheritance to the eldest child; ultimogeniture, sometimes called borough English, gives it to the youngest. Ultimogeniture was rarer but suited households where older children had already been set up elsewhere and the youngest stayed to work the land.
What is absolute primogeniture?
Absolute primogeniture means the eldest child inherits whatever their sex, so an elder daughter is not displaced by a younger son. Several European monarchies adopted it in the late twentieth century, and the United Kingdom applied it to those born after October 2011.
Why did primogeniture exist?
It kept estates intact. Splitting land equally between all children divided a holding into unviable fragments within a couple of generations, so societies that depended on large landed estates for military service and revenue concentrated the inheritance in one heir.
