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fee simple or fee simple absolute is an estate in land, a form of freehold ownership. A "fee" is a vested, inheritable, present possessory interest in land. A "fee simple" is real property held without limit of time (i.e., permanently) under common law, whereas the highest possible form of ownership is a "fee simple absolute," which is without limitations on the land's use (such as qualifiers or conditions that disallow certain uses of the land or subject the vested interest to termination).

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Fee simple or fee simple absolute refers to forms of land ownership without time limit; fee simple absolute also has no conditions on land use. This contrasts with usufruct rights and the fief system under feudalism where land use was granted with specific terms or for loyalty.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept referred to in the question is 'fee simple' or 'fee simple absolute,' which are legal terms relating to land ownership. Fee simple is an estate in land that implies the land is owned without any time limitations, effectively making it permanent under common law. However, a 'fee simple absolute' is the highest form of property ownership where the estate is held without any limitations or conditions on the land's use. This contrasts with other forms of land rights like usufruct rights, common in horticultural societies, where individuals are given the right to use but not own or sell the land. Similarly, under the feudal system, land was held in fiefs and the right to extract wealth from the land was given to vassals by lords in exchange for loyalty and military support.

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