What is the key feature that distinguishes a fee simple absolute estate from a life estate?

Fee simple absolute is the most complete ownership interest recognized in law: it has no time limit, passes to the owner's heirs, and can be sold, leased, mortgaged, or willed freely. A life estate, by contrast, lasts only as long as the life of a named person (the life tenant or another 'measuring life'); when that person dies, the property passes to the remainderman or reverts to the original grantor. The life tenant may use the property and is entitled to its benefits but cannot commit waste and cannot pass a greater interest than they hold. Recognizing these freehold estates and their durations is foundational to the national exam's ownership content.