Easement
Etymology
From Old French “aisement” (comfort, convenience, or benefit), from “aisier” (to ease or make comfortable) — the same family as “ease.” An easement is, historically, a “convenience”: a comfort or benefit one property enjoys over another.
noun · /EEZ-muhnt/
A legal right to use part of someone else’s land for a specific purpose without owning it.
What it names
The reason a neighbor’s driveway can legally cross your yard, or the power company can run lines over it — reach for it when land rights are shared without a change of ownership.
Example
The back parcel had an easement across the front lot, guaranteeing the owners a permanent path to the road.
Related idea
An easement grants a limited right to use land; it is not ownership — the underlying owner keeps title and can do anything that doesn’t interfere with the specific use granted.