patrimony
Americannoun
-
patrimonies
plural
-
an estate inherited from one's father or ancestors.
- Synonyms:
- inheritance
-
any quality, characteristic, etc., that is inherited; heritage.
-
the aggregate of one's property.
-
the estate or endowment of a church, religious house, etc.
noun
-
an inheritance from one's father or other ancestor
-
the endowment of a church
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of patrimony
1300–50; Middle English patrimonie < Middle French < Latin patrimōnium. See patri-, -mony
Explanation
Something that's handed down from your father is an example of patrimony, like your name or your antique dining room table. Use the noun patrimony to describe an inheritance, especially if it comes from your father's side of the family through many generations. If your great-great-grandfather built the house you live in, it is your patrimony. The Latin origin of the word patrimony is pater, or "father," plus mōnium, "state or condition."
Vocabulary lists containing patrimony
It's All in the Family
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Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
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Not Your Father's Word List: Pater, Patr
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“The paintings are the patrimony of all Mexicans,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
The disgraced former prince received the honour in 2012 "by virtue of patrimony", due to his father Prince Philip having been a Freeman.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
They will be relentless in protecting their patrimony.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
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
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
India and China placed their cultural patrimonies in lockdown, where they have stayed, with China now aggressively buying back art from abroad.
From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2011
Johnson's double vision makes him a formidable competitor and one of those rare sons who increase exponentially the patrimonies of their fathers.
From Time Magazine Archive
Many of them do better, and to dress as Officers have contracted heavy debts or spent their patrimonies.
From George Washington by William Roscoe Thayer
The loss of the patrimonies in Southern Italy established a claim on the Norman conquerors, and they became papal vassals for the kingdom of Sicily.
From The History of Freedom by John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, Baron Acton
I have already devoured several patrimonies, and my appetite is still good.
From Vautrin by Honoré de Balzac
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
