feme sole

feme sole
/sohl/, pl. femes sole. Law.
1. an unmarried woman, whether never married, widowed, or divorced.
2. a married woman who is independent of her husband with respect to property.
[1520-30; < AF]

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▪ law
      in Anglo-American common law, a woman in the unmarried state or in the legally established equivalent of that state. The concept derived from feudal Norman custom and was prevalent through periods when marriage abridged women's rights. Feme sole (Norman French meaning “single woman”) referred to a woman who had never been married or who was divorced or widowed or to a woman whose legal subordination to her husband had been invalidated by a trust, a prenuptial agreement, or a judicial decision. In some instances by custom a woman could execute contracts independent of her husband as a feme sole trader, but generally legal action was required to establish a married woman's legal separateness from her husband. See also coverture.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Feme sole — Feme Feme (f[e^]m or f[a^]m), n. [OF. feme, F. femme.] (Old Law) A woman. Burrill. [1913 Webster] {Feme covert} (Law), a married woman. See {Covert}, a., 3. {Feme sole} (Law), a single or unmarried woman; a woman who has never been married, or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • feme sole — (Fr.) A single woman (unmarried). Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations …   Law dictionary

  • feme sole — [fem′ sōl′] n. [OFr, lit., woman alone] Law an unmarried woman; spinster, divorcée, or widow …   English World dictionary

  • feme sole — ˈfemˈsōl, ˈfēmˈ noun (plural femes sole m(z)ˈs ) Etymology: Anglo French 1. law : a woman not in the married state distinguished from feme covert 2 …   Useful english dictionary

  • feme sole — noun /ˈfɛmsəʊl/ A single woman, whether unmarried, spinster, widow or divorcee. See Also: feme covert, feme sole merchant …   Wiktionary

  • Feme sole merchant — Feme Feme (f[e^]m or f[a^]m), n. [OF. feme, F. femme.] (Old Law) A woman. Burrill. [1913 Webster] {Feme covert} (Law), a married woman. See {Covert}, a., 3. {Feme sole} (Law), a single or unmarried woman; a woman who has never been married, or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Feme sole trader — Feme Feme (f[e^]m or f[a^]m), n. [OF. feme, F. femme.] (Old Law) A woman. Burrill. [1913 Webster] {Feme covert} (Law), a married woman. See {Covert}, a., 3. {Feme sole} (Law), a single or unmarried woman; a woman who has never been married, or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • feme sole trader — /fern sowl treydar/ In old English law, a married woman, who, by the custom of London, trades on her own account, independently of her husband; so called because, with respect to her trading, she is the same as a feme sole. The term is applied… …   Black's law dictionary

  • feme sole trader — /fern sowl treydar/ In old English law, a married woman, who, by the custom of London, trades on her own account, independently of her husband; so called because, with respect to her trading, she is the same as a feme sole. The term is applied… …   Black's law dictionary

  • feme-sole trader — /fem sohl /, Law. a married woman who is entitled to carry on business on her own account and responsibility, independently of her husband. Also called feme sole merchant. * * * …   Universalium

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