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

Meza California — a fusion restaurant celebrating Kachakji’s dual Mexican and Syrian heritage — launched under the Alchemist CDC Microenterprise Academy, a 12-week course that provides aspiring food business owners knowledge on operation fundamentals. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 7 Dec. 2025

Managing the pressures of rapid urbanization—including housing, transportation, and informal settlements—is essential for sustainable development and for honoring the city’s centuries-old heritage. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025

His story of escape, new life in America and, ultimately, a winemaking philosophy rooted in heritage and health, became the foundation for Maysara Winery. —Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025

There, the company said Christmas tours celebrate the city's French-Canadian heritage and are typically offered in two languages. —Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025

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