undivided interest
- noun
- Formal
- Although family members hold an undivided interest in heirs' land, a single heir who wishes to sell can request their interest be divided from the collective.
Examples
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The Foundation's investments consist principally of an undivided interest in the investment pool of ASME.
Academic text (1998) -
The siblings decided to maintain their undivided interest in the family home to ensure that everyone had equal access to it.
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Because they held an undivided interest in the farmland, all partners had a say in any decisions regarding its use.
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Her undivided interest in the property meant she could not sell her share without the agreement of the other owners.
Synonyms
A part of money, food or property given to someone
An equal claim that lets each owner use the whole property rather than a separate part
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally built from 'undivided' (not divided) + 'interest' (a share or right), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a share that is not split. However, the precise legal implication — that each co-owner has equal rights to the whole property rather than a specific physical part — is specialized and not fully predictable at B1, making the phrase only partially transparent.
Etymology
Undivided interest gives an easy picture: imagine several people all holding the same house key but the house is not cut into parts. The word undivided shows the property stays whole and interest means each person has a 'share' in the whole, so the phrase means each owner has rights to the entire property, not just a part.