heritage

noun

her·​i·​tage ˈher-ə-tij 

ˈhe-rə-

1

: property that descends to an heir

2

a

: something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor : legacy, inheritance

a rich heritage of folklore

The battlefields are part of our heritage and should be preserved.

especially : the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation

proud of her Chinese heritage

b

: an established or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior

the party's heritage of secularism

3

: something possessed as a result of one's natural situation or birth : birthright

The heritage of natural freedom was long since cast away …

—V. L. Parrington

Synonyms of heritage

• tradition
• rule
• values

Examples of heritage in a Sentence

hospitality is a cherished Southern heritage

this farm is my heritage from my father, as it was for him from his father

Recent Examples on the Web

Popular with royalty and celebrities, the brand is expanding with its first flagship store on London's Sloane Square, solidifying its unique position between high street and heritage luxury. — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Rovers’ old Belle Vue base, which is now housing, featuring a couple of nods to the site’s heritage, isn’t far away, either, just across from Doncaster Racecourse. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

The items were collected by UK fossil hunter Chris Moore on the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO world heritage site in southwest England that is rich in fossils dating from 200 million to 245 million years ago. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 12 Aug. 2026

In June 2025, the church was listed on the Most Endangered Places by Historic Fort Worth, a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and preserving the city’s architectural heritage. — Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English heritage, eritage, borrowed from Anglo-French, from heriter "to inherit, make an heir" (going back to Late Latin hērēditāre "to leave as an inheritance, inherit, make an heir," from Latin hērēd-, hērēs heir entry 1 + -itāre, verb suffix) + -age -age

Note: The Latin verb suffix -itāre normally has repetitive or frequentative value (cf. hesitate, meditate, palpitate), not factitive or causative value, so in this instance it may be of distinct origin. A possible model is the adjective hērēditārius (see hereditary), in the formation of which a stem hērēdit- appears to have been extracted from the noun hērēditāt-, hērēditās "succession to an heir, inheritance," by construing the suffix as -āt-, -ās (or, alternatively, *hērēditātārius was shortened by haplology to hērēditārius).

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

heritage

noun

her·​i·​tage ˈher-ət-ij 

1

: property that is handed down to an heir

2

: something acquired from the past

a rich heritage of folklore