Which term describes a legal right to use another's land for a specific purpose?

An easement is a legal right that grants one party the ability to use another party's land for a specified purpose. This right is typically established through a formal agreement and can be either temporary or permanent. Easements can be used for various purposes, such as allowing a utility company to install power lines, or granting access to a pathway or road that crosses someone else's property.

In contrast, a leasehold refers to a tenant's right to occupy and use property for a specified term, but it does not confer the same type of use rights over land owned by another as an easement does. Encroachment pertains to unauthorized intrusion onto someone else's property, which does not convey a legal right to use the land, and a license may temporarily permit use of the land for a specific purpose but lacks the permanence and formal property right that easements hold. Hence, the most accurate term for a legal right to use another's land for a defined purpose is indeed an easement.