What term describes the right that confers on a person direct, immediate, and exclusive authority over a thing?

The term that describes the right that confers on a person direct, immediate, and exclusive authority over a thing is ownership. Ownership encompasses the legal rights and interests an individual possesses regarding a particular property or asset. When someone has ownership of an item, they have the authority to use it, modify it, and control it without needing permission from anyone else, which emphasizes the direct and exclusive nature of that authority.

Possession refers more broadly to having physical control over a thing, which does not necessarily imply ownership. Control, while it can be similar to ownership, does not explicitly encompass the legal right that ownership conveys. Entitlement typically reflects a right or claim to something but may not include the full authority associated with ownership. Hence, ownership precisely captures the essence of having exclusive authority over a thing.