inheritance

American  

[in-her-i-tuhns] / ɪnˈhɛr ɪ təns /

noun

• inheritances
  plural

1. something that is or may be inherited; property passing at the owner's death to the heir or those entitled to succeed; legacy.

   Synonyms:

   bequest, patrimony

2. the genetic characters transmitted from parent to offspring, taken collectively.

3. something, as a quality, characteristic, or other immaterial possession, received from progenitors or predecessors as if by succession.

   an inheritance of family pride.

4. the act or fact of inheriting by succession, as if by succession, or genetically.

   to receive property by inheritance.

5. portion; birthright; heritage.

   Absolute rule was considered the inheritance of kings.

6. Obsolete. right of possession; ownership.

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inheritance British  

/ ɪnˈhɛrɪtəns /

noun

1. law

   1. hereditary succession to an estate, title, etc

   2. the right of an heir to succeed to property on the death of an ancestor

   3. something that may legally be transmitted to an heir

2. the act of inheriting

3. something inherited; heritage

4. the derivation of characteristics of one generation from an earlier one by heredity

5. obsolete hereditary rights

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inheritance Scientific  

/ ĭn-hĕr′ĭ-təns /

1. The process by which traits or characteristics pass from parents to offspring through the genes.

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Synonym Usage

Inheritance, heritage denote something inherited. Inheritance is the common term for property or any possession that comes to an heir: He received the farm as an inheritance from his parents. Heritage indicates something that is bequeathed to a subsequent generation by an individual or by society: our cultural heritage from Greece and Rome.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preinheritance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inheritances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of inheritance

First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English enheritance, from Anglo-French; equivalent to inherit + -ance

Explanation

Any money or property you receive after the death of a friend or relative is an inheritance. Your grandmother might have left you a small inheritance, but she left the bulk of her estate to her Chihuahua, Killer. A title that passes with death is also called an inheritance. If the current monarch of Britain dies, the inheritance passes to the next in line for the throne, first to the oldest son. A trait that is passed from parent to child genetically is also referred to as an inheritance. The inheritance of red hair, for example, might be common in your family.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inheritance inheritances

The results challenge the idea that violence can be explained as a straightforward evolutionary inheritance.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

According to the Times, external, Badenoch is also due to announce a cut to the 40% rate of inheritance tax - which applies to a person's estate worth more than £325,000.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Families like Lawat's have told the BBC they are struggling to obtain death certificates, affecting everything from accessing flood compensation to the transfer of properties and even inheritance.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Forget about your inheritance and taking a share of your brother-in-law’s Roth IRA and family politics.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Using her small inheritance, my mother enrolled in cosmetology school.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

But too often, inheritances spark disputes over issues many families rarely consider in advance—such as caregiving, prior financial assistance and other family dynamics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

“This case is not about the far larger Reiner family trusts, which hold the assets of Nick’s parents’ estate and the inheritances they left their children,” his attorneys argued in the motion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

I am loath to disclaim the power that comes with symbols such as the flag, words such as freedom, and the attachments that adhere to foundational inheritances such as, yes, the Constitution.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026

It is often their parents who are the driving force behind ring-fencing those inheritances.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky—but all critical to making them who they are.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• bequest
• estate
• heritage
• legacy