| n. | 1. | The act of passing, or going past; the state of being past. |
| 2. | (Rhet.) A figure by which, in pretending to pass over anything, a summary mention of it is made; | |
| 3. | (Law) The omission by a testator of some one of his heirs who is entitled to a portion. |
| Noun | 1. | preterition - suggesting by deliberately concise treatment that much of significance is omitted |
PRETERITION, civil law. The omission by a testator of some one of his heirs
who is entitled to a legitime, (q.v.) in the succession.
2. Among the Romans, the preterition of children when made by the
mother were presumed to have been made with design; the preterition of sons
by any other testator was considered as a wrong and avoided the will, except
the will of a soldier in service, which was not subject to so much form.