Examples Word Origin
to take or receive (property, a right, a title, etc.) by succession or will, as an heir: to inherit the family business. to receive as if by succession from predecessors: the problems the new government inherited from its predecessors. to receive (a genetic character) by the transmission of hereditary factors. to succeed (a person) as heir. to receive as one's portion; come into possession of: to inherit his brother's old clothes. Show More
verb (used without object) to take or receive property or the like by virtue of being heir to it. to receive qualities, powers, duties, etc., as by inheritance (followed by from ). to have succession as heir. Show More
Origin of inherit 1275–1325; Middle English en(h)erit(i)en <
Middle French enheriter <
Late Latin inhērēditāre to make heir. See
in-3 ,
hereditary Related forms half-in·her·it·ed , adjective non·in·her·it·ed , adjective pre·in·her·it , verb (used with object) qua·si-in·her·it·ed , adjective re·in·her·it , verb un·in·her·it·ed , adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for inheriting Contemporary Examples of inheriting But our democratic prejudice against origins and breeding makes us deeply skeptical even of inheriting life goals.
Speaking from his home in Tryon, N.C., Reid, 63, discussed the challenges that came with inheriting such a huge project.
He also is inheriting a shrinking staff hurt by layoffs and furloughs.
And in much of the world laws that bar women from owning land or inheriting property keep women from accessing financial services.
Which surprised even me, since I figured if there's anything Republicans ought to be good at, it's inheriting things.
Historical Examples of inheriting Let there be no inheriting of rights but from such a parent.
"And which doubtless some other had calculated on inheriting ," said the youth.
How, then, is he to blame mankind for inheriting "sinfulness" from their first parents?
Nobody ever heard of inheriting anything but money when I was a girl.
It struck him that his chance of inheriting was not so very obscure, after all.
British Dictionary definitions for inheriting verb -its , -iting or -ited to receive (property, a right, title, etc) by succession or under a will (intr) to succeed as heir (tr) to possess (a characteristic) through genetic transmission (tr) to receive (a position, attitude, property, etc) from a predecessor Show More
Derived Forms inherited , adjective inheritor , noun inheritress or inheritrix , fem n Word Origin for inherit C14: from Old French enheriter, from Late Latin inhērēditāre to appoint an heir, from Latin hērēs heir
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for inheriting v. c.1300, "to make (someone) an heir," from Old French enheriter "make heir, appoint as heir," from Late Latin inhereditare "to appoint as heir," from Latin in- "in" (see in- (2)) + hereditare "to inherit," from heres (genitive heredis ) "heir" (see heredity ). Sense of "receive inheritance" arose mid-14c.; original sense is retained in disinherit . Related: Inherited ; inheriting .
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
To receive a trait from one's parents by genetic transmission. Show More
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
