DOMINIUM

In the civil and old English law. Ownership; property in the largest sense, including both the right of property and the right of possession or use. The mere right of property, as distinguished from the possession or usufruct. Dig. 41, 2, 17, 1; Calvin. The right which a lord had in the fee of his tenant. In this sense the word is very clearly distinguished by Bracton from dominicum. The estate of a feoffee to uses. “The feoffees to use shall have the dominium, and the cestui que use the disposition.” Latch. 137. Sovereignty or dominion. Dominium mar is, the sovereignty of the sea. Dominium directum. In the civil law. Strict ownership; that which was founded on strict law, as distinguished from equity. In later law. Property without use; the right of a landlord. Tayl. Civil Law, 478. In feudal law. Right or proper ownership; the right of a superior or lord, as distinguished from that of his vassal or tenant. The title or property which the sovereign in England is considered as possessing in all the lands of the kingdom, they being holden either immediately or mediately of him as lord paramount. Dominium directum et utile. The complete and absolute dominion in property; the union of the title and the exclusive use. Fairfax v. Hunter, 7 Oranch, 603, 3 L. Ed. 453. Dominium em inens. Eminent domain. Dominium plenum. Full ownership; the union of the dominium directum with the dominium utile. TayL Civil Law, 478. Dominium utile. In the civil law. Equitable or praetorian ownership; that which was founded on, equity. Mackeld. Rom. Law,