inheritance

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/ɪnˈhɛɹɪtəns//ɪnˈhɛɹɪˌtəns/

noun

The passing of title to an estate upon death.

“The Indo-European languages share various similarities as a result of their inheritance from a common ancestor.”

Similar
heritagehereditary pattern
OriginMiddle English enheritaunce ← Old French enheritaunce →
CommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nouninheritance (countable and uncountable, plural inheritances)

plural inheritances · alternative obsolete enheritance · alternative obsolete enheritaunce · alternative obsolete inheritaunce · alternative hypercorrect obsolete inhæritance

  1. countableuncountableThe passing of title to an estate upon death.
  2. countableThat which a person is entitled to inherit, by law or testament, such as the part of an estate (i.e., a portion).
  3. especiallyuncountablebiologyThe act or mechanism of inheriting; the state of having inherited.

    The Indo-European languages share various similarities as a result of their inheritance from a common ancestor.

  4. countableuncountablegenetic algorithmsbiologyThe biological attributes passed hereditarily from ancestors to their offspring.
  5. countableuncountableobject-oriented programmingcomputingThe mechanism whereby parts of a superclass are available to instances of its subclass.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounhereditary succession to a title or an office or property

Similar
heritage
Broader
acquisition

nounthat which is inherited; a title or property or estate that passes by law to the heir on the death of the owner

Similar
heritage
Broader
transferred propertytransferred possession

noun(genetics) attributes acquired via biological heredity from the parents

Similar
hereditary pattern
Broader
hereditygenetic endowment

nounany attribute or immaterial possession that is inherited from ancestors

Similar
heritage
Broader
attribute
Also see
heirdomheritageinheritage

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Frenchenheritaunce
  2. Middle Englishenheritaunce
  3. Englishinheritance

Inherited from Middle English enheritaunce, inheritaunce, borrowed from Anglo-Norman, Old French enheritaunce, from enheriter. By surface analysis, inherit + -ance.

More words from Middle English, Old French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek κληρονομίᾱ
  • κληρονομίᾱ (klēronomíā)that which a person is entitled to inherit
Arabic مِيرَاث, إرْثْ
  • مِيرَاث (mīrāṯ)that which a person is entitled to inherit
  • إرْثْ (ʔirṯ)that which a person is entitled to inherit
  • وِرْث (wirṯ)that which a person is entitled to inherit
Bulgarian наследяване, наследство
  • наследяване (nasledjavane)passing of title
  • наследство (nasledstvo)that which a person is entitled to inherit
  • наследственост (nasledstvenost)biological attributes passed to offspring
Catalan herència
  • herènciathat which a person is entitled to inherit
Chinese Mandarin 繼承 /继承, 遺產 /遗产
  • 繼承 /继承 (jìchéng)passing of title
  • 遺產 /遗产 (yíchǎn)that which a person is entitled to inherit
  • 遗传 (yíchuán)biological attributes passed to offspring
  • 继承 (jìchéng)programming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Czech dědičnost, dědičnost
  • dědičnostpassing of title
  • dědičnostbiological attributes passed to offspring
  • dědičnostprogramming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Dutch erfenis, nalatenschap
  • erfenispassing of title
  • nalatenschappassing of title
  • erfenisthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • erfdeelthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • erfelijkheidbiological attributes passed to offspring
  • overervingprogramming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Esperanto heredo
  • heredothat which a person is entitled to inherit
Finnish periminen, perintö
  • periminenpassing of title
  • perintöthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • perintöosathat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • perimäbiological attributes passed to offspring
  • perintäprogramming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
French héritage, héritage
  • héritagethat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • héritageprogramming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
German Erbschaft, Erbe
  • Erbschaftpassing of title
  • Erbethat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • Erbteilthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • Erbschaftbiological attributes passed to offspring
Greek κληρονομιά
  • κληρονομιά (klironomiá)that which a person is entitled to inherit
Hindi उत्तराधिकार, उत्तराधिकार
  • उत्तराधिकार (uttarādhikār)passing of title
  • उत्तराधिकार (uttarādhikār)that which a person is entitled to inherit
Hungarian örökség
  • örökségthat which a person is entitled to inherit
Icelandic dánargjöf, arfleifð
  • dánargjöfthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • arfleifðthat which a person is entitled to inherit
Irish oidhreacht, oidhreacht
  • oidhreachtpassing of title
  • oidhreachtthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • oidhreachtbiological attributes passed to offspring
Italian eredità, eredità
  • ereditàpassing of title
  • ereditàthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • ereditarietàbiological attributes passed to offspring
  • ereditarietàprogramming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Japanese 遺産, 継承
  • 遺産 (isan)that which a person is entitled to inherit
  • 継承 (keishō)programming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Latin herctum
  • herctumthat which a person is entitled to inherit
Lithuanian palikimas
  • palikimasthat which a person is entitled to inherit
Māori whakareretanga
  • whakareretangathat which a person is entitled to inherit
Polish dziedziczenie, spadek
  • dziedziczeniepassing of title
  • spadekthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • dziedziczeniebiological attributes passed to offspring
  • dziedziczenieprogramming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Portuguese herança, herança
  • herançapassing of title
  • herançathat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • herançabiological attributes passed to offspring
  • herançaprogramming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Romanian moștenire, moștenire
  • moștenirepassing of title
  • moștenirethat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • moștenirebiological attributes passed to offspring
  • ereditatebiological attributes passed to offspring
  • moștenireprogramming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Russian насле́дование, насле́дство
  • насле́дование (naslédovanije)passing of title
  • насле́дство (naslédstvo)that which a person is entitled to inherit
  • насле́дование (naslédovanije)biological attributes passed to offspring
  • насле́дование (naslédovanije)programming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Scottish Gaelic oighreachd, oighreachd
  • oighreachdpassing of title
  • oighreachdthat which a person is entitled to inherit
Slovak dedenie, dedičstvo
  • dedeniepassing of title
  • dedičstvothat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • dedičnosťprogramming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Spanish herencia, heredad
  • herenciapassing of title
  • heredadpassing of title
  • herenciathat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • heredadthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • herenciabiological attributes passed to offspring
  • heredadbiological attributes passed to offspring
  • herenciaprogramming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Swahili urithi, mirathi
  • urithithat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • mirathithat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • urithibiological attributes passed to offspring
Swedish arv, arv
  • arvthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • arvbiological attributes passed to offspring
Tagalog mana, manahan
  • manapassing of title
  • manahanpassing of title
  • manathat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • manahanthat which a person is entitled to inherit
Thai มรดก
  • มรดก (mɔɔ-rá-dòk)that which a person is entitled to inherit
Turkish miras, bırakıt
  • mirasthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • bırakıtthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • terekethat which a person is entitled to inherit
Ukrainian спадкува́ння, наслі́дування
  • спадкува́ння (spadkuvánnja)passing of title
  • наслі́дування (naslíduvannja)passing of title
  • спадок (spadok)that which a person is entitled to inherit
  • спа́дщина (spádščyna)that which a person is entitled to inherit
  • спадко́вість (spadkóvistʹ)biological attributes passed to offspring
  • наслідування (nasliduvannja)programming: mechanism for making parts of superclass available to subclass
Welsh etifeddiad, etifeddiadau
  • etifeddiadthat which a person is entitled to inherit
  • etifeddiadauthat which a person is entitled to inherit
Yiddish ירושה
  • ירושה (yerushe)that which a person is entitled to inherit
Cite this entry
APA

inheritance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inheritance

MLA

“inheritance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inheritance. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inheritance,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inheritance.

Source: inheritance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.