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Cy Pres for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: 'si_'preɪ

What does Cy Pres really mean?

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So, let me explain what "Cy Pres" means. Have you ever heard of a situation where something doesn't go according to plan, but people try to find a way to make it work out as best as they can? That's sort of what "Cy Pres" is all about. It's a fancy term that comes from old French, which means "as near as possible."

Now, imagine you have a pie, and you planned to cut it into equal slices and share it with your friends. But, oops! When you cut the pie, one piece ends up being smaller than the others. Now, you could just give your friends different-sized slices, but that wouldn't be fair, right? So what can you do?

Well, this is where "Cy Pres" comes into play. It's a legal concept that helps find a solution when things don't turn out as intended. Instead of giving your friends the unequal slices, you can try to distribute the pie in a way that is "as near as possible" to your original plan.

Now, let's bring this concept into the real world. Can you think of a situation where, let's say, a person wanted to leave their money to a specific charity in their will, but that charity no longer exists? It might seem like a problem, right? But thanks to "Cy Pres," the court can step in and find another way to use that money for a similar charitable purpose. They would ensure that the money is still used in a way that is "as near as possible" to what the person originally wanted.

So, to sum it up, "Cy Pres" is a way to make the best out of a situation when something doesn't go as planned. It's about finding an alternative solution that is as close as possible to the original intention. It's like when you have to adjust your plans but still try to achieve the same outcome, just like making sure your friends get equally sized slices of pie, even when things didn't go quite right.


Revised and Fact checked by Ava Clark on 2023-10-28 09:31:40

Cy Pres In a sentece

Learn how to use Cy Pres inside a sentece

  • In a class action lawsuit where many people were harmed, the court ordered that the remaining settlement funds be used cy pres to benefit a related cause, like a charity that helps people in need.
  • When a wealthy individual leaves money in their will to establish a scholarship fund for deserving students, but the specific requirements cannot be met, the court may decide to distribute the funds cy pres to students who closely match the intended criteria.
  • A grant was awarded to a nonprofit organization for a specific project, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the project couldn't be completed. The organization proposed using the remaining funds cy pres to support a similar initiative that aligns with the original grant's purpose.
  • A trust was created to preserve a historic building and provide public access, but over time, maintenance costs became too high. The court decided to modify the terms of the trust cy pres to allow the building to be converted into a museum while still fulfilling the original donor's intentions.
  • A community organization received a large donation to construct a playground, but the land initially chosen became unavailable. Instead, the organization used the donation cy pres to build a similar playground in a nearby location for the benefit of children in the community.

Cy Pres Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

Cy Pres Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.