heir at law

noun

plural

heirs at law 

1. a person who inherits, or has a right of inheritance in, the real property of one who has died without leaving a valid will.

heir-at-law

noun

1. property law the person entitled to succeed to the real property of a person who dies intestate

Word History and Origins

Origin of heir at law¹

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

In the 19th century, the actor Joseph Jefferson portrayed Peter Pangloss in the comedy “The Heir at Law” with a coiffure that suggested a horizontal volcanic eruption.

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Heir general, or heir at law, he who after the death of his ancestor has, by law, the right to the inheritance.

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It was decided that his pictures and drawings should be presented to the National Gallery, that one thousand pounds should be spent on a monument to the painter in St. Paul's, twenty thousand pounds should be given to the Royal Academy, and the remainder to the next of kin and heir at law.

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Descent is the title whereby a man, on the death of his ancestor, acquires his estate, by right of representation, as his heir at law.

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Both had been hard fighters in their time, and looked as if they would furnish what Caroline in "The Heir at Law" calls "not an inviting meal."

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