primogeniture

American  

[prahy-muh-jen-i-cher, -choor] / ˌpraɪ məˈdʒɛn ɪ tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər /

noun

1. the state or fact of being the firstborn of children of the same parents.

2. Law. the system of inheritance or succession by the firstborn, specifically the eldest son.

---

primogeniture British  

/ ˌpraɪməʊˈdʒɛnɪtʃə, ˌpraɪməʊˈdʒɛnɪtərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

1. the state of being a first-born

2. law the right of an eldest son to succeed to the estate of his ancestor to the exclusion of all others Compare ultimogeniture

---

primogeniture Cultural  

1. A system of inheritance in which land passes exclusively to the eldest son. Until the Industrial Revolution, this system severely restricted the freedom of younger sons, who were often forced into the military or the clergy to earn a living.

---

Other Word Forms

• primogenital adjective
• primogenitary adjective
• primogenitureship noun

Etymology

Origin of primogeniture

First recorded in 1500–20; from Medieval Latin prīmōgenitūra “a first birth,” equivalent to Latin prīmō “at first” + genitūra, equivalent to genit(us) (past participle of gignere “to beget”) + -ūra noun suffix; kin, -ure

Explanation

Primogeniture is when the oldest son inherits all or more of his parents' stuff than any of his siblings. When a king dies, his eldest typically son inherits the throne by the rules of primogeniture. It may seem vastly unfair, but primogeniture dates back to the Old Testament. Examples of this practice in which the first-born son receives exclusive inheritance rights can be found throughout history and around the world — from the Middle East to Medieval Europe. Today, perhaps the most widely known example of primogeniture is the succession of the British throne, which gives preference to the eldest male child above all others.

Example Sentences

The last time the U.K.’s law of succession was altered, to end male primogeniture, was in 2013 and it took nearly two years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

They banned inherited titles of nobility - duke and earl and the like - and prohibited the European inheritance practices of primogeniture and entail, by which massive estates were handed down through generations.

From Washington Times • May 8, 2019

Rather, it’s primogeniture, and every major move since—Durant on the Warriors, Chris Paul to the Rockets, etc.—is a direct descendant.

From Slate • Feb. 1, 2018

Virginia law followed primogeniture and awarded a father’s land to his oldest son unless a will directed otherwise.

From Textbooks • Jan. 18, 2018

In Virginia, however, laws abolishing primogeniture and entail had been passed during the Revolution.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• bequest
• estate
• heritage
• legacy