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

Etymology

Origin of heir

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

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

During the draft, the Rams passed on the opportunity to select former USC receiver Makai Lemon and opted instead to pick Simpson, Stafford’s heir apparent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

The comparisons to Messi are inevitable and the stats suggest Lamine Yamal is on his way to becoming a worthy heir to the player many consider the greatest ever.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

He wasn’t going to pass it down to an heir and keep it in the family.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

He hasn’t promoted into the party’s seven-man leadership body anyone young and experienced enough to be a suitable heir, according to party insiders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

With Jinky no longer being a putative heir, the remaining contenders for the estate were Miyoko Watai, the Targ nephews, and the U.S.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

There has long been public concern over the lack of male heirs in the imperial family - along with debate over whether women should be allowed to take the throne.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Mexico’s billionaire Zambrano family, heirs to a fortune in cement and other holdings, acquired the collection in 2023, Santander announced.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

That money, under current law, would pass to your child’s heirs completely tax-free as well.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

Continuing to earn income, even on a part-time basis, is likely to mean withdrawing less from savings and preserving more for later in life or heirs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Sam Westing was not murdered, but one of his heirs was guilty—guilty of some offense against a relentless man.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

Related Words

• beneficiary
• inheritor
• scion
• successor