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

Murphy inherited the money after her husband died in 2019.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Putting her own stamp on the design foundation she inherited was also important for Farr.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

However, I recently disclaimed part of a traditional IRA I inherited, and it worked out well.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The couple inherited a large Cotswolds estate—with little income to sustain it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

William had inherited his father’s gift for this, and Elizebeth was already well trained in German and Latin.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield