inherit

verb in·her·it \ in-ˈher-ət , -ˈhe-rət \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of inherit

transitive verb

1 : to come into possession of or receive especially as a right or divine portion

and every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters … for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life
—Matthew 19:29 (Revised Standard Version)

2 a : to receive from an ancestor as a right or title descendible by law at the ancestor's death

b : to receive as a devise or legacy

3 : to receive from a parent or ancestor by genetic transmission

inherit a defective enzyme

4 : to have in turn or receive as if from an ancestor

inherited the problem from his predecessor

intransitive verb

: to take or hold a possession or rights by inheritance

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inheritor

play \in-ˈher-ə-tər, -ˈhe-rə-\ noun

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inheritress

play \in-ˈher-ə-trəs, -ˈhe-rə-\ or inheritrix play \in-ˈher-ə-(ˌ)triks, -ˈhe-rə-\ noun

See inherit defined for English-language learners

See inherit defined for kids

Examples of inherit in a Sentence

She inherited the family business from her father.
Baldness is inherited from the mother's side of the family.
She inherited her father's deep blue eyes.
She inherited a love of baseball from her dad.
When my brother left for college, I inherited his old computer.
The company's new president will inherit some complicated legal problems.
When the coach quit, her assistant inherited a last-place team.

Recent Examples of inherit from the Web

Oregon Business & Industry also inherited the schism that produced two competing business organizations in 2000.

— the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Oregon's largest business organization in turmoil, new CEO on hotseat," 11 Apr. 2018
Daniel Watkins, 25, a Northern Kentucky University graduate in organizational leadership and sports management, inherited a house from a family member on Harvey Avenue.

— mark curnutte, Cincinnati.com, "A decade-by-decade look at how Avondale came back after the 1968 riots," 4 Apr. 2018
Glass inherited and helped supervise the construction of Cook Hall, the Hoosiers’ men’s and women’s practice facility.

— zach osterman, Indianapolis Star, "On IU basketball spending: 'Our program doesn't want for anything'," 4 Apr. 2018
But Cora, in his first year as a manager, inherits a situation ripe for this honor: The Red Sox had a good team last year but still somehow seemed a disappointment to many, with a handful of off-field controversies along the way.

— ted berg, For The Win, "Picking every MLB division, award, and playoff series winner for 2018," 27 Mar. 2018
Grab, backed by SoftBank and former Uber competitor Didi, will also inherit 500 Uber employees across the region, according to an email Khosrowshahi sent to staff.

— johana bhuiyan, Recode, "Uber is selling its Southeast Asia business to competitor Grab," 26 Mar. 2018
After all, children inherit half of their DNA from each parent: 50 percent from mom (through an egg), and 50 percent from dad (through sperm).

— National Geographic, "Siblings Can Have Surprisingly Different DNA Ancestry. Here's Why.," 23 Mar. 2018
Old World monkeys, apes and hominins — the branch of the ape family tree that includes humans — inherited that ancestor’s ability to see red, particularly against a green background.

— gemma tarlach, Discover Magazine, "Pigment of Our Imagination," 23 Mar. 2018
The younger Ana inherited it and, for a time, cultivated it with a modest catering business out of her home.

— vinny vella, Courant Community, "Vinny Vella: Hartford Library Program Arms Immigrants With Tools To Succeed," 16 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of inherit

Middle English enheriten to give right of inheritance to, from Anglo-French enheriter, from Late Latin inhereditare, from Latin in- + hereditas inheritance — more at heredity

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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INHERIT Defined for English Language Learners

inherit

verb

Definition of inherit for English Language Learners

: to receive (money, property, etc.) from someone when that person dies
biology : to have (a characteristic, disease, etc.) because of the genes that you get from your parents when you are born
: to get (a personal quality, interest, etc.) because of the influence or example of your parents or other relatives

INHERIT Defined for Kids

inherit

verb in·her·it \ in-ˈher-ət \

Definition of inherit for Students

inherited; inheriting

1 : to get by legal right from a person at his or her death

2 : to get by heredity

I inherited red hair.

Medical Dictionary

inherit

transitive verb in·her·it \ in-ˈher-ət \

medical Definition of inherit

: to receive from a parent or ancestor by genetic transmission

Law Dictionary

inherit

verb in·her·it \ in-ˈher-it \

legal Definition of inherit

transitive verb

1 : to receive (property) from an estate by operation of the laws of intestacy; broadly : to receive (property) either by will or through intestate succession

2 : succeed

intransitive verb

: to take or hold a possession or rights by inheritance

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