Dominion, Dominium

DOMINION - The right of the owner of a thing to use it or dispose of it at his pleasure.

DOMINIUM - It is of three kinds: 1. Directum dominium, or usufructuary dominion; dominium utile, as between landlord and tenenant; 2. It is to full property, and simple property. The former is such as belongs to the cultivator of his own estate; the other is the property of a tenant; 3. Dominion acquired by the law of nations, and dominion acquired by municipal law. By the law of nations, property may be acquired by occupation, by accession, by commixtion, by use, and by tradition or delivery.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.