patrimony

American  

[pa-truh-moh-nee] / ˈpæ trəˌmoʊ ni /

noun

plural

patrimonies

1. an estate inherited from one's father or ancestors.

   Synonyms:

   inheritance

2. any quality, characteristic, etc., that is inherited; heritage.

3. the aggregate of one's property.

4. the estate or endowment of a church, religious house, etc.

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patrimony British  

/ ˈpætrɪmənɪ, ˌpætrɪˈməʊnɪəl /

noun

1. an inheritance from one's father or other ancestor

2. the endowment of a church

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Other Word Forms

• patrimonial adjective
• patrimonially adverb

Etymology

Origin of patrimony

1300–50; Middle English patrimonie < Middle French < Latin patrimōnium. See patri-, -mony

Example Sentences

Michael Barry, a leading specialist in miniature art, said that people being deprived of their cultural patrimony was "the height of injustice".

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

But there’s no reason for this to be so, or for it to be a problem: Classic works are the patrimony of us all, whatever our politics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

And in 2009, the new constitution even recognized “ancestral coca as cultural patrimony, a renewable natural resource of Bolivia’s biodiversity, and as a factor of social cohesion.”

From Salon • Mar. 9, 2025

Officials declined to say how much the initiative cost, but the actual replica was made by the Factum Foundation, a Madrid-based non-profit that creates high-resolution digital replicas of the world’s cultural patrimony.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 6, 2024

Their readers’ reward consists of partaking in—and, if they themselves write, helping to preserve—this rich patrimony.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker