FREEHOLD

freehold, in the english law of real property, an estate in land, not being less than an estate for life. an estate for a term of years, no matter how long, was considered inferior in dignity to an estate for life, and unworthy of a freeman (see estate). "some time before the reign of henry ii., but apparently not so early as domesday, the expression _liberum tenementum_ was introduced to designate land held by a freeman by a free tenure. thus freehold tenure is the sum of the rights and duties which constitute the relation of a free tenant to his lord."[1] in this sense freehold is distinguished from copyhold, which is a tenure having its origin in the relation of lord and villein (see copyhold). freehold is also distinguished from leasehold, which is an estate for a fixed number of years only. by analogy the interest of a person who holds an office for life is sometimes said to be a freehold interest. the term _customary freeholds_ is applied to a kind of copyhold tenure in the north of england, viz. tenure by copy of court-roll, but not, as in other cases, expressed to be at the will of the lord. footnote: [1] digby's _history of the law of real property_.