inherit

verb

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in·her·it | \ in-ˈher-ət

, -ˈhe-rət \

inherited; inheriting; inherits

Definition of inherit

transitive verb

1a : 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

2 : to receive from a parent or ancestor by genetic transmission inherit a defective enzyme

3 : to have in turn or receive as if from an ancestor inherited the problem from his predecessor

4 : 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)

intransitive verb

: to take or hold a possession or rights by inheritance

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Other Words from inherit

inheritor \ in-ˈher-ə-tər

, -ˈhe-rə- \ noun

inheritress \ in-ˈher-ə-trəs

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

, -ˈhe-rə- \ noun

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 on the Web Then Herbert went on to inherit the starting job early in the season and win NFL offensive rookie of the year. — oregonlive, "NFL draft 2021: Every Oregon high school player selected from 2000-2020," 28 Apr. 2021 According to 247Sports research, Sarkisian is the first Texas coach going back to Darrell Royal to inherit a quarterback room with zero starts. — Chuck Carlton, Dallas News, "Texas spring game shows new HC Steve Sarkisian’s vision for Longhorns is a work in progress," 24 Apr. 2021 In British royalty, the only way to become king is to inherit the title. — James Hookway, WSJ, "Why Wasn’t Prince Philip a King?," 9 Apr. 2021 Since the redirect is allowing the page to inherit all of the links and authority of the old page, your page-one ranking for the old page will generally be replaced with the new page. — Jason Bland, Forbes, "How Lawyers Can Redesign Their Website Without Losing Search Engine Rankings," 5 Apr. 2021 Multigenerational families were common because at least one child would remain living in their parents’ home to inherit the family farm or business. — Chelsea Sheasley, The Christian Science Monitor, "Multigenerational households confirm: The more the merrier," 17 Dec. 2020 Ross acquired the 10 acres in the early 1840s from a slave owner who wrote in his will that Ross should be freed five years after his death and inherit the land. — NBC News, "Harriet Tubman's father's home discovered by archeologists in Maryland," 20 Apr. 2021 Many analysts are focused on whether Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel will inherit Mr. Castro’s leadership position as party secretary, which—on paper, at least—is the highest office in the land. — Marcell Felipe, WSJ, "The Castros Still Run Cuba," 18 Apr. 2021 When Elizabeth became queen in 1953, Philip did not become king — a title reserved for men who inherit the throne. — Washington Post, "Live updates British royal family to gather for funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," 14 Apr. 2021

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.

History and Etymology for inherit

Middle English enheriten "to give (a person) right of inheritance, make (a person) heir, come into possession of as an heir," borrowed from Anglo-French enheriter, going back to Late Latin inhērēditāre "to appoint as heir," from Latin in- in- entry 2 + Late Latin hērēditāre "to leave as an inheritance, inherit, make an heir" — more at heritage

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Last Updated

12 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Inherit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inherit. Accessed 18 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for inherit

inherit

verb

English Language Learners Definition of inherit

: 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

See the full definition for inherit in the English Language Learners Dictionary

inherit

verb

in·her·it | \ in-ˈher-ət

inherited; inheriting

Kids Definition of inherit

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

2 : to get by heredity I inherited red hair.

inherit

transitive verb

in·her·it | \ in-ˈher-ət

Medical Definition of inherit

: to receive from a parent or ancestor by genetic transmission

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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