heiress

noun

heir·​ess ˈer-əs How to pronounce heiress (audio)
: a woman who is an heir especially to great wealth

Examples of heiress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Sebring was killed alongside Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski, as well as coffee heiress Abigail Folger; her boyfriend, aspiring screenwriter Wojciech Frykowski; and recent high school graduate Steven Parent, who was visiting a property caretaker. Susan Young, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025 In Ware’s book, Anne is an heiress who spends most her time in Norway, while Richard is a minor lord, entrepreneur, and party boy. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025 The charity affair sailing to Norway is hosted by terminally ill shipping heiress Anne Bullmer (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and her husband Richard (Guy Pearce), benefitting their foundation. Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025 In the 1880s, a New York heiress with an active and unorthodox social life was declared a habitual drunkard, placed under a legal guardianship, and later confined to an asylum. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heiress

Word History

Etymology

heir entry 1 + -ess

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heiress was in 1607

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heiress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heiress. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

heiress

noun
heir·​ess ˈar-əs How to pronounce heiress (audio)
ˈer-
: a girl or woman who is an heir

More from Merriam-Webster on heiress

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