heir apparent
Americannoun
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heirs apparent
plural
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an heir whose right is indefeasible, provided they survive their ancestor.
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a person whose succession to a position appears certain.
His popularity makes him the chief 's heir apparent.
noun
Other Word Forms
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Nouns
Etymology
Origin of heir apparent
First recorded in 1325–75 Middle English
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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.
The Royal Family reserves the Prince of Wales title for the heir apparent to the British throne, in a centuries-old tradition.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Sam Mehta, the new CEO, was the heir apparent before his former boss’s sudden exit, said Bancroft, who notes the succession was merely pulled forward.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
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
That doesn’t mean Stafford was thrilled about general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay spending a first-round pick on his heir apparent.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
In the four years since Mills had joined the Rad Lab, he had emerged as Ernest’s heir apparent.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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