inherit

verb

in·her·it | \in-ˈher-ət,

-ˈhe-rət\

inherited; inheriting; inherits

Definition of inherit

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)

2a : 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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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

People are said to inherit the personality traits of the symbolic animal associated with their birth year. — AJC.com, "These 12 cocktails from Himitsu are inspired by the Japanese zodiac," 25 Feb. 2018 Sharif’s brother Shahbaz Sharif, who inherited leadership of PML-N, said in a statement that the party rejects Friday’s verdict. — Renae Reints, Fortune, "Former Pakistani Prime Minister Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison," 6 July 2018 BBC News notes that the title became extinct after his son, who inherited the title, died. — Megan Friedman, Harper's BAZAAR, "William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan All Have Different Titles in Scotland," 5 July 2018 But don’t weep for Panthers coach Ron Rivera and new linebackers coach Steve Russ, who inherits a deep group spearheaded by a perennial Pro Bowler that also includes a pair of draft picks. — Joseph Person, charlotteobserver, "Panthers position analysis: Will play of LB Shaq Thompson affect Thomas Davis' future?," 2 July 2018 Grandma was a full woman, as were almost all the women in the Taylor family (save an exceptionally tiny cousin, who clearly inherited someone’s skinny genes). — Sonya Renee Taylor, SELF, "The House Next Door," 26 June 2018 Anyhow, the Cavs’ pre- and post-game finery was a gift to the players from star LeBron James who apparently inherited his fondness for the look from former Cavalier Dwayne Wade. — Ellen Warren, chicagotribune.com, "Still puzzled by the shrunken men's suit?," 20 June 2018 Hutton, who inherited a family trust worth nearly $1 billion dollars in today’s currency, had hobbies which included collecting jewelry, art and a fondness for Japanese gardens. — Philip Potempa, Post-Tribune, "Munster Garden Walk includes eclectic offerings in 2018," 13 June 2018 In early June, the king, who inherited his own job, almost saw his wish come true. — The Christian Science Monitor, "The source of Jordan’s river of discontent," 11 June 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.

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

Middle French enheriter to make one an heir, from Late Latin inhereditare, from Latin in- in + hereditas inheritance

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Statistics for inherit

Last Updated

13 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for inherit

The first known use of inherit was in the 14th century

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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