inheritance

American  

[in-her-i-tuhns] / ɪnˈhɛr ɪ təns /

noun

• inheritances
  plural

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inheritances
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of inheritance

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

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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

See Examples For:

inheritance inheritances

The film’s multigenerational story touches on the cultural inheritance passed between mothers, daughters and grandmothers — whether through old traditions or ordinary rituals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Don’t weaponize money or inheritance but don’t give unconditionally either.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

She says she isn’t asking for an inheritance, she’s asking to be paid back for the care she’s giving.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

A disclaimer is a highly useful strategy in which one heir renounces an inheritance in favor of another heir.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

By studying the mathematical relationships—the ratios—between the various kinds of progeny produced by each cross, Mendel could begin to construct a model to explain the inheritance of traits.*

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Some handed over their inheritances and even houses.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

“This case is not about the far larger Reiner family trusts, which hold the assets of Nick’s parents’ estate and the inheritances they left their children,” his attorneys argued in the motion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

In her view, farmers who don’t want a data center might not appreciate that family farms become family inheritances.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

I am loath to disclaim the power that comes with symbols such as the flag, words such as freedom, and the attachments that adhere to foundational inheritances such as, yes, the Constitution.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026

The Randall sons managed their inheritances according to their temperaments.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

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Related Words

• bequest
• estate
• heritage
• legacy

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