Meanings
plural heirs presumptive
- Someone who will become an heir (usually to a monarchy) only if no-one with a higher-ranking claim is born.
I am quite aware that your premature decease would leave me heir-presumptive to the title- ”Heir-presumptive? . . . Oh, I see. My mother might peg out and my father marry again. Calculating brute.”
1935, Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna person who expects to inherit but whose right can be defeated by the birth of a nearer relative
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchhéritier présomptif
- Englishheir presumptive
A calque of French héritier présomptif, hence the unusual order of adjective following noun.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 假定繼承人 /假定继承人
- 假定繼承人 /假定继承人 (jiǎdìng jìchéngrén)one who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
Finnish kruununperijä
- kruununperijäone who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
French héritier présomptif
- héritier présomptifone who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
Greek επίδοξος κληρονόμος, πιθανός κληρονόμος
- επίδοξος κληρονόμος (epídoxos klironómos)one who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
- πιθανός κληρονόμος (pithanós klironómos)one who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
Indonesian ahli waris sementara
- ahli waris sementaraone who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
Irish tánaiste
- tánaisteone who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
Italian erede presuntivo, erede presuntiva
- erede presuntivoone who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
- erede presuntivaone who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
Polish domniemany następca
- domniemany następcaone who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
Spanish heredero presunto, heredera presunta
- heredero presuntoone who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
- heredera presuntaone who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
Welsh etifedd tebygol
- etifedd tebygolone who inherits if no one with a higher-ranking claim is born
Cite this entry
heir presumptive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heir%20presumptive
“heir presumptive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heir%20presumptive. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heir presumptive,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heir%20presumptive.
Source: heir presumptive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.