inheritance
Americannoun
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something that is or may be inherited; property passing at the owner's death to the heir or those entitled to succeed; legacy.
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the genetic characters transmitted from parent to offspring, taken collectively.
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something, as a quality, characteristic, or other immaterial possession, received from progenitors or predecessors as if by succession.
an inheritance of family pride.
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the act or fact of inheriting by succession, as if by succession, or genetically.
to receive property by inheritance.
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portion; birthright; heritage.
Absolute rule was considered the inheritance of kings.
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Obsolete. right of possession; ownership.
noun
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law
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hereditary succession to an estate, title, etc
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the right of an heir to succeed to property on the death of an ancestor
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something that may legally be transmitted to an heir
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the act of inheriting
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something inherited; heritage
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the derivation of characteristics of one generation from an earlier one by heredity
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obsolete hereditary rights
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing inheritance
"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman
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"The Origin of Species by Natural Selection" by Charles Darwin: Essential Words
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Genetics - Inheritance and Variation of Traits
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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.
See Examples For:
Another issue facing women in retirement is a coming potential boom in money transferring to the control of women, either through a spouse dying or through an inheritance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Still, it’s possible — with effort — to register the film’s themes about duty, inheritance, courage and righteous disobedience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
In the Yecke family, the inheritance is “Little House on the Prairie.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
An expected inheritance can fluctuate for any number of reasons, and no one is entitled to it until it is actually distributed.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
And what, then, will be the inheritance bequeathed by Bobby?
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
When a parent nears the end of their life, issues like costs for care and splitting inheritances can arise, and family fights about money can get even more intense.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
On the spectrum of sibling conflicts over caregiving and inheritances, Ruth’s situation is extreme, but unfortunately, it’s not rare.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
In most inheritances, however, step-up in basis is actually the default, not the exception.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
The Graybills are among a growing rank of parents who are forgoing inheritances in favor of doling out money to family while they are still alive to see it do some good.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky—but all critical to making them who they are.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
