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Synonyms

heiress

American  
[air-is] / ˈɛər ɪs /

noun

  • heiresses
    plural
  1. a woman who inherits or has a right of inheritance, especially a woman who has inherited or will inherit considerable wealth.


heiress British  
/ ˈɛərɪs /

noun

  1. a woman who inherits or expects to inherit great wealth

  2. property law a female heir

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Gender

See -ess.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of heiress

First recorded in 1650–60; heir + -ess

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:

Revenue inched up 1% to $6.91 billion compared to the year-ago period, when Paramount was controlled by media heiress Shari Redstone.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 4, 2026

Hotel heiress Paris Hilton outside the US Capitol on 17 December 2024.

From BBC Jul. 8, 2026

It has held a position in the Garnier and Maybelline owner since 1974, when it bought in at the request of L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt to help stop the French government from nationalizing the company.

From Barron's Jun. 10, 2026

The contest’s co-host Victoria Swarovski, singer, model and crystal heiress, says the city is a true metropolis best experienced on foot—where imperial architecture and centuries-old cafés weave through contemporary restaurants and nightlife.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 16, 2026

The judge had hoped to take the "heiress" by surprise, but Grace gained time by coughing.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

A number of the Mars heiresses have held top roles at the candy and pet-food company.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 21, 2026

Who would listen to wealthy heirs and heiresses?

From Barron's Nov. 13, 2025

Raniere’s endorsers included television stars like Mack, deep-pocketed believers like the Seagram heiresses Sara and Clare Bronfman and affable, normal-seeming guys like Mark Vicente.

From New York Times Sep. 14, 2020

There were heirs and heiresses with vast fortunes and little to lose.

From Washington Post Jan. 8, 2019

Van never lost his way with women, and he later married and divorced at least two heiresses.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

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