heir apparent

noun

plural heirs apparent

1

: an heir whose right to an inheritance cannot be voided or undone except by exclusion under a valid will if the heir survives the ancestor

2

: heir presumptive

3

: one whose succession especially to a position or role appears certain under existing circumstances

Examples of heir apparent in a Sentence

The coach named her assistant as her heir apparent.

Recent Examples on the Web

Strahl was expected to be the heir apparent to Spartans star Trey Augustine, who led Michigan State to the past three Big Ten titles. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 13 Apr. 2026

Majma-ul-Bahrain (1657) Majma-ul-Bahrain (The Mingling of the Two Oceans) is a philosophical treatise composed in Persian by Dara Shikoh, eldest son of Shah Jahan and heir apparent to the Mughal throne. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026

There seems to be some backstage industry momentum that Johnson is the heir apparent in Vancouver. —Thomas Drance, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026

Former President Jair Bolsonaro was jailed for 27 years for plotting a coup; his eldest son and heir apparent was thrown out of Congress and is living in the US. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for heir apparent

• aberrant
• declarant
• grandparent
• stepparent
• transparent
• errant
• parent
• semitransparent

Kids Definition

heir apparent

noun

plural heirs apparent

: an heir whose right to succeed (as to a throne) cannot be taken away if he or she outlives the present holder

Legal Definition

heir apparent

see also:

heir