heritage

[her-i-tij]

noun

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.

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of heritage¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of heritage¹

C13: from Old French; see _heir

Synonym Study

See inheritance.

Example Sentences

The King's Foundation provides opportunities for people to learn practical heritage skills and focuses on sustainability.

Read more on BBC

Their long-standing presence and environmental knowledge help maintain a unique form of biocultural heritage in which ecological and cultural diversity have developed side by side over many generations.

Read more on Science Daily

Both ceremonies blended Booker’s Christian faith and Lewis’s Jewish heritage.

Read more on Salon

"This is a historic milestone which acknowledges the vital place these languages hold in Scotland's culture and heritage."

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Stoppard was not fully aware of his Jewish heritage until the 1990s, when a Czech relative told him all four of his grandparents and three aunts had been killed in Nazi concentration camps.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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