heir apparent

[air uh-pair-uhnt, uh-par-]

noun

plural

heirs apparent 

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.

heir apparent

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

Other Word Forms

• heir apparency noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of heir apparent¹

First recorded in 1325–75 Middle English

Example Sentences

In 1994, he played a pivotal role in getting Tony Blair elected as party leader - crucially backing him over Gordon Brown, who had been seen as the heir apparent.

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Ferguson was quiet the first quarter, but in the second he got a chance to show why the Rams selected him to be the heir apparent to veteran tight end Tyler Higbee.

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In 2023 the Rams drafted Stetson Bennett in the fourth round, but the third-year pro is not regarded as the heir apparent.

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If the Rams do not find Stafford’s heir apparent, there is always next year.

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Edward I then invested his son Edward II as the Prince of Wales, and since then the title has customarily - though not always - been given to the heir apparent.

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Related Words

• crown prince