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

So call it a quiet, workmanlike beginning for the 13th player taken in the NFL draft, a quarterback the Rams ostensibly chose to become Matthew Stafford’s heir apparent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Under current court rulings, an heir who inherited a property after that date is generally barred from suing under the law.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

My son remains my primary heir, followed by my late brother’s son and his children.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

"Kim Jong Un became heir in his 20s despite having no achievements, solely because of the Paektu bloodline," Ryu Hyun-woo, an exiled North Korea diplomat, wrote in his book, Kim Jong Un's Secret Vault.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

“Don’t be an idiot. Marcus would love to sabotage the heir to Gens Veturia a day before graduation.”

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Roth balances also can pass to heirs undepleted by age-related mandatory withdrawals that apply to traditional accounts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

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

In contrast, with a lifetime annuity with no guaranteed refund option, there is nothing left for heirs after the death of the annuitant — no matter how soon that death may occur.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

Without thinking, the heirs seated themselves at the assigned tables.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

Related Words

• beneficiary
• inheritor
• scion
• successor