ADDICTIO, Addiction, in Roman Law, is a transferring or passing over goods to another; whether by sentence of a court, or in the way of sale, to the highest bidder. See ALIENATION. The word stands opposed to Abdicatio, or Abdication. See ABDICATION, etc.
It is formed from Addico, one of the stated words used by the Roman judges when they allowed the delivery of the thing or person on whom judgment had passed.
Hence, goods thus adjudged by the Praetor to the right owner were called Bona addita; and debtors delivered up in a like manner to their creditors, to work out their debt, were called Servi Additi. Appretio in Diem denoted the adjudging of a thing to a person for a certain price, unless by such a day the owner or some other person gave more for it.
The word is also used for taking an administration and paying the debts of the deceased. See ADMINISTRATION.
