heir apparent
Americannoun
plural
heirs apparent-
an heir whose right is indefeasible, provided they survive their ancestor.
-
a person whose succession to a position appears certain.
His popularity makes him the chief 's heir apparent.
noun
Other Word Forms
- heir apparency noun
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.
Particular attention will also be placed on the whereabouts of Kim's teenage daughter Ju Ae, who has emerged as North Korea's heir apparent, according to Seoul's national intelligence service.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
He then spent two decades as the heir apparent before rising to power in 1994.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
New England’s Drake Maye, 23, was also the No. 3 in his draft class two years ago, becoming the heir apparent to Brady.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 7, 2026
So now the man once seen as the heir apparent to Tom Brady will face the legendary quarterback's eventual successor, Drake Maye, for a place in Super Bowl 60.
From BBC • Jan. 22, 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
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.
