Which term describes an estate that may revert back to the grantor upon certain conditions?

The term that describes an estate that may revert back to the grantor upon certain conditions is a fee simple defeasible. This type of estate is characterized by its conditional nature, meaning that the grantor establishes specific conditions or terms that, if violated, can result in the property reverting to them.

For example, if a property is granted with a requirement for the new owner to use it for educational purposes and that condition is not met, the property could revert back to the grantor. This makes fee simple defeasible distinctive from a fee simple absolute, which provides complete ownership without any conditions, and from a life estate, which is limited in duration to the life of a specific person. A leasehold estate, on the other hand, involves temporary rights to use and occupy property but does not grant the leaseholder ownership rights, nor does it include a reversion condition like a fee simple defeasible estate does. Thus, the defining characteristic of a fee simple defeasible is its potential to revert to the grantor under specific conditions, making it the correct choice in this context.