disinherit

verb

dis·​in·​her·​it ˌdis-in-ˈher-ət 

-ˈhe-rət

disinherited; disinheriting; disinherits

transitive verb

1

: to prevent deliberately from inheriting something (as by making a will)

2

: to deprive of natural or human rights or of previously held special privileges

disinheritance

ˌdis-in-ˈher-ə-tən(t)s 

-ˈhe-rə-

noun

Examples of disinherit in a Sentence

She threatened to disinherit her son and leave him penniless.

Recent Examples on the Web

On the Duke’s side, Joely Richardson is back as Eddie’s mother Lady Sabrina, Daniel Ings as disinherited older brother Freddy, Jasmine Blackborow as sister Charly and Vinnie Jones as Geoff, keeper of the grounds – and family secrets. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026

The wars began when the Yorkists revolted against the unstable Lancastrian king, Henry VI, forcing him to disinherit his son and accept a York as his successor. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026

His mother was born into Rome’s commercial bourgeoisie, but she had essentially been disinherited, nose-diving into the working class with a pair of children to raise. — Andrea Bajani, New Yorker, 7 June 2026

Stepchildren are not automatically considered legal heirs unless they are legally adopted, so they must be specifically named in estate planning documents or risk being unintentionally disinherited. — Medora Lee, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for disinherit

• buret
• carat
• ferret
• garret
• karat
• merit
• parrot
• demerit
• inherit
• preterit

Kids Definition

disinherit

verb

dis·​in·​her·​it ˌdis-ᵊn-ˈher-ət 

: to deprive of the right to inherit

Legal Definition

disinherit

transitive verb

dis·​in·​her·​it ˌdis-ᵊn-ˈher-ət 

: to prevent deliberately from inheriting something (as by making a will) see also elective share

disinheritance

-ˈher-ə-təns 

noun