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title deed

title deed

2 6.1
An official paper that shows who owns a house or land
  • noun
  • /ˈtaɪtəl did/
  • Specialized
translation icon : escritura
  • Before selling the property, he made sure to retrieve the title deed from the safe.

If you took the title deed to the bank, they wouldn't be able to finance it.

Examples

  • But some forms of personal data—medical records, for example, or land title deeds—need to remain accessible over periods of decades to centuries.

    Blog text (16)
  • They suggest that the title deed, of course, gives squatters security, which allows them to invest more in their homes.

    Blog text (27)
  • Can I have that title deed, Paul?

  • I found it in the parish records when I was checking out some title deeds.

  • If you took the title deed to the bank, they wouldn't be able to finance it.

  • "Here is a copy of the title deed," she said, passing it to Perry Jr.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • They've got the serial number and title deed, so to speak.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Most do not have title deeds, but that does not mean they are not entitled to equality and respect from the media, other citizens, government, law enforcement, public works, and UN-HABITAT.

    Blog text (27)
  • Can you recommend three or four well-written articles or short works that also touch on the controversial issues related to squatting (specifically whether or not they are criminals and the matter of title deeds)?

    Blog text (27)
  • The title deed proves that she is the rightful owner of the land.

Synonyms

title
vstitle deed
  • Specialized
169 4.8

The right to own something or the paper that proves you own it

refers specifically to the formal paper proving ownership rather than the abstract right
deed
vstitle deed
  • Formal
152 5.8

A signed paper that shows who owns land or a house

is mainly a proof of ownership rather than a transfer instrument
titulus
vstitle deed
  • Archaic
9.9

A paper that shows who owns land or a house

is an official single legal document proving ownership rather than a claim
muniments
vstitle deed
  • Formal
9.9

Documents that prove who owns land or property

is a single formal document showing ownership rather than a collection
deed of conveyance
vstitle deed
  • Formal
8.6

A signed document that transfers land or a house from one person to another

shows current ownership rather than focusing on the act of transferring property

How Formal

title deed
  • Specialized
2 6.1
conveyancing
  • UK
3 9.1
assignment
  • Formal
11 5.3
transfer
355 3.2
handing over
13 2.7

Surface Forms

title deed singular
title deeds plural

Morphology

title + deed

Both constituents ('title' and 'deed') explicitly relate to legal ownership and documents, so their combination transparently denotes a legal document evidencing property ownership. This is a straightforward noun-noun composition common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words can reliably infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Title deed comes from two old words: title meaning the right to own and deed meaning a written paper that records an action. Long ago people used a written 'deed' to show who had the 'title' to a piece of land, so today title deed means the document that proves you 'own' the property.