inheritance

American  

[in-her-i-tuhns] / ɪnˈhɛr ɪ təns /

noun

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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Related Words

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

• preinheritance
  noun

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

His language implicitly reaffirmed a vision of citizenship based on civic membership rather than ethnic inheritance.

From Salon • May 11, 2026

With opportunity burgeoning and the city’s rich inheritance of museums, concert halls, and landmark buildings safe to use, property values skyrocketed.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

All of these would have different outcomes for taxes and inheritance, not least your control over the property.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

Samsung confirmed on Sunday that the final payment had been made, noting that the sum is equivalent to roughly one and a half times the country's total inheritance tax revenue for 2024.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

They are part of a shared cultural inheritance of the past half-century.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• bequest
• estate
• heritage
• legacy