1. Capable of being forfeited to the state or a feudal lord, especially upon the death of an owner without heirs or due to a crime.
Usage: legal; formal

Examples

• The escheatable property reverted to the state after the owner died intestate with no surviving relatives.
• Under feudal law, escheatable lands were returned to the crown when a vassal failed to produce an heir.
• The court determined that the estate was escheatable because the deceased had no legal descendants.
• Modern probate law still recognizes certain escheatable assets in cases of complete intestacy.
• The escheatable nature of the land meant it would eventually become public property.