heir apparent

noun

plural heirs apparent

Definition of heir apparent

1 : an heir whose right to an inheritance is indefeasible except by exclusion under a valid will if he or she 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 Grand Duke Alexis Romanov Alexandrovich, brother of the heir apparent to the Russian throne, traveled to Louisiana in 1872 to partake in the celebrations! — Leah Silverman, Town & Country, 12 Jan. 2022 The son and onetime heir apparent of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi announced Sunday his candidacy for the country's presidential election next month, Libya's election agency said. — Compiled Democrat-gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 15 Nov. 2021 The son and one-time heir apparent of late Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi has announced his candidacy for the country's presidential election next month. — NBC News, 14 Nov. 2021 The son and one-time heir apparent of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi announced Sunday his candidacy for the country's presidential election next month, Libya's election agency said. — Samy Magdy, ajc, 14 Nov. 2021 The son and one-time heir apparent of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi announced Sunday his candidacy for the country's presidential election next month, Libya's election agency said. — Fox News, 14 Nov. 2021 The son and one-time heir apparent of late Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, announced Sunday his candidacy for the country's presidential election next month, Libya's election agency said. — Sam Magdy, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Nov. 2021 Those moves caused market watchers and trade publications to discuss him as a potential heir apparent. — Chase Difeliciantonio, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Nov. 2021 But the show’s creator, Jesse Armstrong, agreed to audition him for the role of Kendall Roy, the moody middle son and Logan’s heir apparent. — Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heir apparent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Learn More About heir apparent

Dictionary Entries Near heir apparent

heir apparency

heir apparent

heir at law

Statistics for heir apparent

Last Updated

20 Jan 2022

Cite this Entry

“Heir apparent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heir%20apparent. Accessed 28 Jan. 2022.

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MLA