heir apparent

American  

[air uh-pair-uhnt, uh-par-] / ˈɛər əˈpɛər ənt, əˈpær- /

noun

heirs apparent plural

1. an heir whose right is indefeasible, provided they survive their ancestor.

2. a person whose succession to a position appears certain.

   His popularity makes him the chief 's heir apparent.

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heir apparent British  

noun

1. property law a person whose right to succeed to certain property cannot be defeated, provided such person survives his ancestor Compare heir presumptive

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• heir apparency
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• heirs apparent
  plural

Etymology

Origin of heir apparent

First recorded in 1325–75 Middle English

Compare meaning

How does heir-apparent compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• heir apparent vs. heir presumptive

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heir apparent

Then, the hosts discuss succession at JPMorgan now that CEO Jamie Dimon’s latest heir apparent, Marianne Lake, has left the company.

From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026

Vinicius Junior is the one they look to now, the heir apparent, the winger most likely to propel them forward.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

Saddam Haftar, widely seen as his heir apparent, serves as deputy commander of the LNA, while another son, Khaled, is chief of staff.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

And they knew just how they wanted to spend that luxury asset—which is why Ty Simpson is now the heir apparent to an offensive juggernaut.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

The new heir apparent soon had an opportunity to endear himself to the Athenians.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

• crown prince