heir apparent

Save This Word!

See synonyms for heir apparent on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural heirs apparent.

an heir whose right is indefeasible, provided he or she survives the ancestor.

a person whose succession to a position appears certain: His popularity makes him the chief's heir apparent.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of heir apparent

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75

OTHER WORDS FROM heir apparent

heir apparency, noun

Words nearby heir apparent

Heinlein, heinous, Heinrich, Heinz, heir, heir apparent, heir at law, heirdom, heiress, heirloom, heir presumptive

How to use heir apparent in a sentence

Residents of the neighborhoods where cops are needed the most are mixed on the impact of the apparent slowdown.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Neither is unnerved by her apparent anger, nor do they see her as threatening.
What Would Happen if I Got in White Cop’s Face?|Goldie Taylor|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet according to Hamilton, “it was quickly apparent that other than pecuniary consolation would be acceptable.”
Should the U.S. Really Pay a Kim’s Ransom?|Kevin Bleyer|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Despite her omnipresence, The Pinkprint makes it apparent how little we actually know about Nicki Minaj.
Nicki Minaj Bares Her Own Vulnerability on ‘The Pinkprint’|Rawiya Kameir|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Nowhere is this new family dynamic more apparent than around the holidays.
Binge Watching is the New Bonding Time|The Daily Beast|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He heard himself saying lightly, though with apparent lack of interest: 'How curious, Lettice, how very odd!
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
The heir apparent and his brothers were cowering in fear, afraid to strike, yet hoping that others would strike for them.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
The result of the restoration of trade, banking, and credit to earlier and more normal conditions has been steadily apparent.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
The apparent slightness of these English changes reveals their deliberate subtlety.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
He is a hypochondriac now and would keep a close watch on his heir's health and habits; you may be sure of that.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for heir apparent

heir apparent

noun plural heirs apparent

property law a person whose right to succeed to certain property cannot be defeated, provided such person survives his ancestorCompare heir presumptive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

heir apparent

COMPARE MEANINGS

Origin of heir apparent

OTHER WORDS FROM heir apparent

Words nearby heir apparent

Words related to heir apparent

How to use heir apparent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for heir apparent