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

The secondary needed to be retooled, and Griffin, with his five-star pedigree and his preternatural cover instincts, was an ideal heir apparent. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, "USC’s Olaijah Griffin has a spring in his step after surgery on both shoulders," 8 Aug. 2019 Note the serious young girl standing next to Mr B. That’s Brittany, now heir apparent to take over team. — Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post, "Kiszla: Why Brittany Bowlen is the heir apparent to fill void at Broncos headquarters left by the late, great Mr. B," 4 Aug. 2019 When the king’s wife gave birth to a Catholic son the next year (who would supersede Mary as heir apparent), his enemies no longer had the hope of an impending Protestant renaissance to look forward to. — Declan Leary, National Review, "Conservatives Should Not Celebrate Religious Tyranny and Coercion," 19 July 2019 On the political front, Beijing’s favorite choice and heir apparent until early summer was the city’s financial secretary and third-ranking official, Paul Chan, said people familiar with the selection process. — Keith Bradsher, BostonGlobe.com, "Hong Kong’s chief executive is disheartened, but no successor is in sight," 3 Sep. 2019 An outstanding debut by heir apparent Daniel Jones doesn't make for a quarterback competition for the New York Giants, at least for now. — Tom Canavan, courant.com, "Shurmur: Good start by Jones does not create QB controversy for Giants," 9 Aug. 2019 On the political front, Beijing’s favorite choice and heir apparent until early summer was the city’s financial secretary and third-ranking official, Paul Chan, said people familiar with the selection process. — Keith Bradsher, New York Times, "Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Is Disheartened, but No Successor Is in Sight," 5 Aug. 2019 The franchise still views Lock as their quarterback of the future, however currently unrefined, and heir apparent to Joe Flacco. — Kyle Fredrickson, The Denver Post, "Denver Broncos rookie profiles: Who are these guys?," 2 Sep. 2019 On Monday, Quintero was one of the first to greet Chacon, who could be seen as Quintero’s heir apparent at the central attacking midfield role. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, "Loons will be missing three starters for Thursday’s game at Kansas City," 20 Aug. 2019

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.