heir

American  

[air] / ɛər /

noun

• heirs
  plural

1. a person who inherits or has a right of inheritance in the property of another following the latter's death.

2. Law.

   1. (in common law) a person who inherits all the property of a deceased person, as by descent, relationship, will, or legal process.

   2. Civil Law. a person who legally succeeds to the place of a deceased person and assumes the rights and obligations of the deceased, as the liabilities for debts or the possessory rights to property.

3. a person who inherits or is entitled to inherit the rank, title, position, etc., of another.

4. a person or group considered as inheriting the tradition, talent, etc., of a predecessor.

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verb (used with object)

1. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to inherit; succeed to.

heir British  

/ ɛə /

noun

1. civil law the person legally succeeding to all property of a deceased person, irrespective of whether such person died testate or intestate, and upon whom devolves as well as the rights the duties and liabilities attached to the estate

2. any person or thing that carries on some tradition, circumstance, etc, from a forerunner

3. an archaic word for offspring

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• heirless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• heirs
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of heir

1225–75; Middle English eir, heir < Old French < Latin hērēd- (stem of hērēs ); akin to Greek chêros bereaved

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Explanation

If your grandfather leaves his candy factory to you in his will, it means you're the heir to the family candy business, and after your grandfather dies, you will inherit the factory. When you're named in a will or are legally entitled to inherit something, you're an heir. You can be the heir to someone's money, business, or title; in a monarchy, the king or queen's oldest son is usually the heir to the throne. The word heir isn't pronounced like "hair," but instead has a silent h and sounds like "air."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heir heirs

Your brother has an easier job here; he just has to stand firm, and provide you with the documents showing that he is the sole heir.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

Bardot was married three times before she met de Chiara: to filmmaker Roger Vadim, actor Jacques Charrier and industrial heir Gunter Sachs.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

“Just like when peanut butter sales go up,” the chicken-finger heir nodded solemnly.

From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026

That tension runs through “You Can See Everything,” Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s hit documentary about Holmes and her longtime partner, Billy Evans, an heir to a wealthy San Diego hotel family.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

There always had to be a male heir to the throne, and as long as his father was alive, there was no problem.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

They said producers "simply moved the show from Chicago to Pittsburgh, rebranded it The Pitt, and ploughed ahead without any attribution or compensation for Crichton and his heirs".

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

They also come into play for people who going to leave the money in those accounts to heirs.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

Today, it’s in Zurich, having been donated by Bührle’s heirs to the museum that bears his name.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Yet now, 10 years in, the movement’s heirs may not call themselves neoperreo at all.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

The derisive smiles soon faded as, pair by pair, the heirs heard their code words sung.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

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Related Words

• beneficiary
• inheritor
• scion
• successor

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