What does "demise" mean?

1. (death) a formal word for a person's death. 2. (transfer of property) the legal transfer of land or a building to someone else for a period of time. 3. (satellite disintegration) the way a satellite breaks apart when it falls back into the Earth's atmosphere. 4. (to lease or transfer) to give or leave property to someone in a legal document like a will.

demise

n. · v.

US //dɪˈmaɪz// UK //dɪmˈaɪz// demise

1 death (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

a formal word for a person's death.

the death of a person, typically used in formal or literary contexts to convey gravity.

Example

The entire nation mourned the sudden demise of the beloved leader.

Example

Upon the sovereign's demise, the crown was immediately transferred to the heir apparent according to constitutional protocol.
- death
- decease
- passing
- birth
2 transfer of property (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Formal Law

the legal transfer of land or a building to someone else for a period of time.

the conveyance or transfer of an estate by lease or will for a specified term.

Example

The lawyer explained the demise of the estate to the family members.

Example

The deed of demise ensured that the property would remain under the control of the charitable trust for the next ninety-nine years.

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3 satellite disintegration (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Science

the way a satellite breaks apart when it falls back into the Earth's atmosphere.

the atmospheric disintegration of a spacecraft or satellite component during re-entry.

Example

Scientists tracked the satellite's demise as it burned up over the Pacific Ocean.

Example

Engineers designed the structural components to ensure a predictable demise during re-entry, minimizing the risk of large debris reaching the surface.
- disintegration
- breakup
4 to lease or transfer (v.)
C2 Proficiency Formal Technical Law

to give or leave property to someone in a legal document like a will.

to convey or grant an estate by will or lease. Transitive — requires a direct object.

Example

The property was demised to the local council for use as a public park.

Example

The testator sought to demise the ancestral lands to a distant relative, bypassing the immediate family through a complex legal instrument.
- grant
- lease
- bequeath

Origin

From Middle English demyse, dimise, dimisse, dymyse, from Middle French démise, the feminine singular past participle of démettre (“to put down, relinquish”); from Latin dēmissa, feminine singular of perfect passive participle of dēmittō. The "death" and "end" senses derive by way of euphemism from the legal sense, as a person's death was a common way that the legal demise could be accomplished. The verb is from Middle English dimisen, from the noun.