bona vacantia
noun plural
bo·na va·can·tia
ˈbō-nə-vā-ˈkan-shē-ə
: goods that are unclaimed and without an apparent owner
it was trash, in the nature of bona vacantia, which the defendants had abandoned—
United States v. Calise, 217 F. Supp. 705 (1962)
United States v. Calise, 217 F. Supp. 705 (1962)Cite this Entry
“Bona vacantia.” Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/bona%20vacantia. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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