heir at law
noun
a person who inherits, or has a right of inheritance in, the real property of one who has died without leaving a valid will.
Jump To:
-
heir at law
-
heir-at-law
heir-at-lawnounproperty law the person entitled to succeed to the real property of a person who dies intestate
heir at law
Americannoun
-
heirs at law
plural
heir-at-law
British
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of heir at law
First recorded in 1720–30
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.
See Examples For:
Heir general, or heir at law, he who after the death of his ancestor has, by law, the right to the inheritance.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2 "Hearing" to "Helmond" by Various
"He is the only heir at law so far as we know," said Mr. Perkins.
From The Stillwater Tragedy by Thomas Bailey Aldrich
He had discovered thus, accidentally, that old Mr. Dorrit was probably the heir at law to a great estate that had lain for years forgotten, unclaimed and growing larger all the time.
From Tales from Dickens by Hallie Erminie Rives
It is true he is not my heir at law.
From The Adventures of Hugh Trevor by Thomas Holcroft
Undoubtedly he also was the next heir at law.
From The Case and the Girl by Randall Parrish
Sir Robert had but one child, a son, Sir George Vyner, who died childless, and his estate passed to his heir-at-law, Edith, his fatherʼs eldest sister, whose lineal descendant is our friend.
From The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido For the Suppression of Piracy by Henry Keppel
Merely because Mr. Richard Hildebrand chose to ignore the claims of the heir-at-law.
From In Jeopardy by Van Tassel Sutphen
The next of kin would follow the heir-at-law.
From Trevethlan (Vol 3 of 3) A Cornish Story. by William Davy Watson
Besides this valuable bequest, the small family property of Long Calderwood was also left to Matthew Baillie, instead of his uncle, John Hunter, who was the heir-at-law.
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol III, No 13, 1851 by Various
The legality of the will was disputed on a technicality, and the heir-at-law paid a sum of money instead, which was invested, but how long the crown was paid for anti-dog purposes is not known.
From Bygone Cumberland and Westmorland by Daniel Scott
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
