droit
UK[drɔɪt]US[drɔɪt]
n
A legal right or claim, especially to a sum of money or property.
n
Law. A right in law, as opposed to equity.
Etymology
The word 'droit' entered English from Anglo-Norman and Old French legal terminology, preserving its core meaning of "a right". Its Latin ancestor, directus, literally meant "straight" or "set in a straight line". This concrete sense evolved metaphorically in Late Latin and Romance languages to signify that which is correct, proper, or according to a rule—hence "right" or "law". In English legal history, it became a technical term distinguishing a right enforceable in a court of law (droit) from one seeking remedy in a court of equity, illustrating how a physical concept of straightness was channeled into the abstract realm of jurisprudence.
Analysis
This word is a direct loan from Old French, where it meant "right, law, justice". Its ultimate origin is the Latin adjective directus, meaning "straight, direct", which is the past participle of the verb dirigere ("to set straight, guide").
Examples
The court recognized his droit to the mineral royalties from the land.
In historical common law, a writ was the appropriate remedy to enforce a droit.
The concept of a moral droit is often distinguished from a purely legal one.