secundogeniture means the condition of being secondborn. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 90 out of 100.
Why “secundogeniture” is a great word
A right of inheritance belonging specifically to a second-born son, or the property inherited through such a right. From New Latin secundōgenitūra, from Latin secundus ("second, following") + genitūra (a derivative of gignere, "to beget"), modeled on primogenitura ("primogeniture"). Unlike "primogeniture," which anoints the firstborn with the undivided whole, or "appanage," a sovereign's discretionary provision, secundogeniture is a defined, narrower channel for ambition. It is the consolation prize of a castle on a lesser hill, the meticulously drawn map of a smaller kingdom, and the weight of a silver-chased sword instead of a gold-crowned scepter—a testament to the architectural precision required to keep a dynasty intact.
Etymology
From New Latin secundōgenitūra.
noun
- The condition of being secondborn
- A right of inheritance belonging to a second son.
- A property or possession so inherited.“The kingdom of Naples […] was constituted a secundo-geniture of Spain.”