Demise Was Originally a Transfer of Property
Demise means death or the end of something. In law it means the transfer of an estate, which is where the death sense began.
Demise means death, or the end of something. The legal sense came first: to demise property is to transfer it, especially by will or lease. Because the transfer of a Crown or an estate followed the holder's death, the word absorbed the death itself. *Demise of the Crown* is still the formal legal phrase for a monarch's death.
- Death. *His untimely demise.*
- The end of something. *The demise of the industry.*
- Transfer of an estate. *Demised premises.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | demise | A sudden demise. |
| Verb | demise | Demise the lease. |
| Adjective | demised | The demised property. |
| Related | dismiss | Dismiss the case. |
| Related | mission | On a mission. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The demise of the Crown.The legal term for a monarch's death.
- Reports of its demise were premature.Figurative.
- The demised premises are described in the lease.Property law.
Words from *mittere*, to send
- Demise — to send away, to transfer
- Dismiss — to send away
- Mission — a sending
- Transmit — to send across
- Promise — to send forth a commitment
From Anglo-French *demise*, past participle of *demettre*, to send away, from Latin *dimittere*, from *dis* and *mittere*, to send.
Is demise a formal word for death?
Yes, and slightly euphemistic. It is common in journalism and formal writing, less so in speech.
What does *demise of the Crown* mean?
The legal term for the death or abdication of a monarch, and the immediate passing of sovereignty to the successor.