inheritance

American  

[in-her-i-tuhns] / ɪnˈhɛr ɪ təns /

noun

1. something that is or may be inherited; property passing at the owner's death to the heir or those entitled to succeed; legacy.

   Synonyms:

   bequest, patrimony

2. the genetic characters transmitted from parent to offspring, taken collectively.

3. something, as a quality, characteristic, or other immaterial possession, received from progenitors or predecessors as if by succession.

   an inheritance of family pride.

4. the act or fact of inheriting by succession, as if by succession, or genetically.

   to receive property by inheritance.

5. portion; birthright; heritage.

   Absolute rule was considered the inheritance of kings.

6. Obsolete. right of possession; ownership.

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inheritance British  

/ ɪnˈhɛrɪtəns /

noun

1. law

   1. hereditary succession to an estate, title, etc

   2. the right of an heir to succeed to property on the death of an ancestor

   3. something that may legally be transmitted to an heir

2. the act of inheriting

3. something inherited; heritage

4. the derivation of characteristics of one generation from an earlier one by heredity

5. obsolete hereditary rights

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inheritance Scientific  

/ ĭn-hĕr′ĭ-təns /

1. The process by which traits or characteristics pass from parents to offspring through the genes.

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Synonym Usage

Inheritance, heritage denote something inherited. Inheritance is the common term for property or any possession that comes to an heir: He received the farm as an inheritance from his parents. Heritage indicates something that is bequeathed to a subsequent generation by an individual or by society: our cultural heritage from Greece and Rome.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preinheritance
  noun

Etymology

Origin of inheritance

First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English enheritance, from Anglo-French; equivalent to inherit + -ance

Explanation

Any money or property you receive after the death of a friend or relative is an inheritance. Your grandmother might have left you a small inheritance, but she left the bulk of her estate to her Chihuahua, Killer. A title that passes with death is also called an inheritance. If the current monarch of Britain dies, the inheritance passes to the next in line for the throne, first to the oldest son. A trait that is passed from parent to child genetically is also referred to as an inheritance. The inheritance of red hair, for example, might be common in your family.

Example Sentences

It also clarified how, in a philosophical sense, the inheritance of the founding was accessible to more than the direct posterity of the Founders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Karl Lagerfeld’s cat waiting six years for her inheritance.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

If your daughter is married or marries sometime in the future, she can decide how much of her inheritance will be commingled with her spouse’s finances.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

Speaking in generalities about institutions, the rule of law, and the inheritance of American democracy, he named no president and aired no specific grievance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

For Darwinian evolution to work, the mechanism of inheritance had to possess an intrinsic capacity to conserve information without becoming diluted or dispersed.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• bequest
• estate
• heritage
• legacy