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

When it comes to selling inherited property, the bank says, an executor’s role is to manage the sale to maximize the estate’s value for beneficiaries.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

Following Isak’s death, Jonathan became chairman of the family holding company, which he inherited alongside his two sisters.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

But, here, he inherited the world’s most culturally open major orchestra, where fresh thinking and new music thrive.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

The only question that matters in government is whether we leave our successors a better situation than we inherited.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

She’d inherited Gulmina from Noor when her older sister had outgrown it.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai