Showing results for "inherited"

• past tense form of inherit.
• past participle of inherit.

inherited

American  

[in-her-i-tid] / ɪnˈhɛr ɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. received from or as if from one’s predecessors.

   Their wealth is from inherited properties, mostly through the estate of their mother’s parents.

   For the novelist Henry James, history, tradition, precedence, and established forms constituted the inherited wisdom of civilization.

2. received through genetic transmission.

   the family’s inherited trait of straight blond hair;

   kidney problems symptomatic of an inherited disorder.

3. Baseball. (of a base runner) allowed on base by a previous pitcher.

   The unlucky reliever balked, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch, allowed an inherited runner to score, and got only one out.

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Other Word Forms

• half-inherited
  adjective
• noninherited
  adjective
• quasi-inherited
  adjective
• uninherited
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of inherited

First recorded in 1795–1800; inherit ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Inherited means "handed down to you by your family." If your inherited traits include your red hair, freckles, and stubbornness, it means older people in your family also have them. Something you receive from your parents, grandparents, or other family members is inherited, whether it's a personality trait or a house in the Catskills. Some things are inherited genetically, like blue eyes, and others are inherited legally, like money or property you receive as an heir when someone dies. The Latin root is inhereditare, "to appoint as heir." The meaning changed in the 14th century to "receive, to be the heir."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inherited

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

"One way of reforming this rigid system is to start with our own families," said Norlina Rambu Jola Kalunga, 54, a noblewoman who inherited five atas when she married the son of a royal family.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

"I understand they've inherited a prison system that is in trouble," she said of the government.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Depending on the type of assets inherited, an inheritance can significantly increase taxable income.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

“But, right before he passed away, a successful industrialist and distant cousin named William Maxwell was discovered living in Los Angeles. As the only heir, he inherited all of this.”

From "City Spies" by James Ponti