heritage

American  

[her-i-tij] / ˈhɛr ɪ tɪdʒ /

noun

• heritages
  plural

1. something that is handed down from the past, as a tradition.

   a national heritage of honor, pride, and courage.

2. something that comes or belongs to one by reason of birth; an inherited lot or portion.

   a heritage of poverty and suffering.

   Synonyms:

   patrimony, estate

3. something reserved for one.

   the heritage of the righteous.

4. Law.

   1. something that has been or may be inherited by legal descent or succession.

   2. any property, especially land, that devolves by right of inheritance.

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adjective

1. noting or relating to a product, place, etc., that evokes a nostalgic sense of tradition or history.

   visitors to a heritage site in the Middle East.

2. noting or relating to an older, traditional breed of animal or plant.

   raising pure-breed heritage hogs.

heritage British  

/ ˈhɛrɪtɪdʒ /

noun

1. something inherited at birth, such as personal characteristics, status, and possessions

2. anything that has been transmitted from the past or handed down by tradition

3. 1. the evidence of the past, such as historical sites, buildings, and the unspoilt natural environment, considered collectively as the inheritance of present-day society

   2. ( as modifier; cap. as part of name )

      Bannockburn Heritage Centre

4. something that is reserved for a particular person or group or the outcome of an action, way of life, etc

   the sea was their heritage

   the heritage of violence

5. law any property, esp land, that by law has descended or may descend to an heir

6. Bible

   1. the Israelites regarded as belonging inalienably to God

   2. the land of Canaan regarded as God's gift to the Israelites

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Synonym Usage

See inheritance.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• heritages
  plural

Etymology

Origin of heritage

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Middle French, from herit(er) “to inherit” + -age -age; see heir

Explanation

Heritage can refer to practices or characteristics that are passed down through the years, from one generation to the next. Researching your family tree would help you gain a sense of your personal heritage. Heritage is often used to discuss a cultural aspect or tradition that has been passed down through generations. For example, one might speak of an area’s "rich musical heritage.” Heritage can also refer to a person's ethnic or cultural background. In a legal sense, heritage is property that you inherit, like a silver teapot your great aunt Sally left to you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

heritage heritages

But there is something else tied to his Jewish heritage that keeps things in perspective — the struggles his grandmother went through escaping liquidation at the hand of the Nazis in her Polish hometown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

We are "now focused on protecting endangered heritage in southern Lebanon and in the Bekaa, particularly in the Baalbek region", he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026

On top of its potential communicative importance and intrinsic value as a cultural behavior, accumulative stone throwing involves durable primate material culture, the loss of which would constitute the erasure of primate heritage.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

While Loretta Lynn, Bobbie Gentry and Jeannie C. Riley began to change that image in the 1960s, Ms. Parton transcended countrypolitan Nashville by embracing her rural heritage, not smoothing it out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Abel was born in England to parents of German and Russian heritage.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

The stockpile, which has since risen in value, adds Wyoming to a growing cohort of states, including some with mining heritages, looking to add precious metal to their investment portfolios.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

"It's not just Muslims - there are going to be kids of other heritages who are inspired by Djed."

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2025

“Only in America,” Harris said, was it possible for two people of such different backgrounds and heritages to join together to make it “all the way” to the White House.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2024

Even the Moscow Art Theatre, from which Chekhov’s plays emerged, has recognized that heritages need to be reinvented.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2024

Our modern civilization is built up on three great corner-stones, three inestimably valuable heritages from the past.

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 04 by Charles F. (Charles Francis) Horne

Related Words

• ancestry
• culture
• custom
• legacy
• right
• tradition