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inheritor

American  
[in-her-i-ter] / ɪnˈhɛr ɪ tər /

noun

  1. a person who inherits; heir.


Etymology

Origin of inheritor

First recorded in 1400–50, inheritor is from the late Middle English word enheritour, enheriter. See inherit, -or 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The nizam’s court, with its sumptuous palaces, its concubines, its rituals and recitations of poetry and music, was the chief inheritor of the archaic grandeur of the moguls.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Withdrawals from inherited Roth accounts aren’t taxable, but the accounts still must be drained by the inheritor within a decade.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2025

Many argue she should also be seen and recognised as the descendant of another kind of family and that is the inheritor of generations of black female activists.

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2024

For their loved ones, it's the life-changing difference between being a wife and a widow, a companion and a mourner, a child and an inheritor.

From Salon • Jul. 14, 2023

That day, I felt myself to be the embodiment of African nationalism, the inheritor of Africa’s difficult but noble past and her uncertain future.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela