An 'easement' is best defined as:

An easement is a right to use another person's land for a specific purpose, without owning the land. Common examples: a utility company's right to maintain power lines across private property; a neighbor's right to cross a driveway to reach a landlocked parcel; a city's right to maintain a public sidewalk through a property. Easements are typically recorded in the property records and transfer with the land — the new owner inherits both the benefit and the burden. An 'easement appurtenant' benefits a specific adjacent parcel (and transfers with that parcel). An 'easement in gross' belongs to an individual or entity rather than a parcel (utility easements are common examples). Easements can be created by deed, by necessity, by prescription (long open use), or by court order.