disinherit

American  

[dis-in-her-it] / ˌdɪs ɪnˈhɛr ɪt /

verb (used with object)

disinherits, present (3rd person singular) disinherited, past participle, past disinheriting present participle

1. Law. to exclude from inheritance (an heir or a next of kin).

2. to deprive of a heritage, country, right, privilege, etc..

   the disinherited peoples of the earth.

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disinherit British  

/ ˌdɪsɪnˈhɛrɪt /

verb

1. law to deprive (an heir or next of kin) of inheritance or right to inherit

2. to deprive of a right or heritage

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• disinheritance
  noun
• undisinherited
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• disinheriting
  present
• disinherited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• disinherit
  simple
• disinherits
  simple
• have disinherited
  perfect
• has disinherited
  perfect
• am disinheriting
  progressive
• are disinheriting
  progressive
• is disinheriting
  progressive
• have been disinheriting
  perfect progressive
• has been disinheriting
  perfect progressive

Past

• disinherited
  simple
• had disinherited
  perfect
• was disinheriting
  progressive
• were disinheriting
  progressive
• had been disinheriting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will disinherit
  simple
• will have disinherited
  perfect
• will be disinheriting
  progressive
• will have been disinheriting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of disinherit

First recorded in 1525–35; dis- ¹ + inherit

Explanation

When you disinherit someone, you decide not to leave that person anything in your will. Your eccentric grandfather might threaten to disinherit you because of your dirty fingernails. You need to have written a will — a document that lists where you want your money and property to go after your death — in order to disinherit someone. When your wealthy relative actually removes your name from her will, she officially disinherits you. The word inherit is at the heart of disinherit, with its old-fashioned meaning, "make someone an heir." When you add the Latin prefix dis, "not," you take away the inheritance altogether.

Example Sentences

For a second-born daughter intended to inherit a life of thankless labor, the price might be worth it.

From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026

Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama told delegates: "History does not ask us to inherit guilt, but it asks us to inherit responsibility".

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026

He still had to be there to inherit it.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

I know you want to inherit the house, but you can’t jeopardize your own savings to keep it.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Eurasian peoples happened to inherit many more species of domesticable large wild mammalian herbivores than did peoples of the other continents.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond