SINCE 1828
inherit
verb
in·her·it
| \ in-ˈher-ət
, -ˈhe-rət\
, -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
: 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
, -ˈhe-rə- \
noun
inheritress
\ in-ˈher-ə-trəs
, -ˈhe-rə- \
or inheritrix \ in-ˈher-ə-(ˌ)triks
, -ˈhe-rə- \
noun
, -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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Russia, which inherited the old USSR’s Arctic frontier, still maintains approximately 134 MiG-31s, with at least 70 updated to a newer standard. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Russia Resumes Fighter Patrols Over the North Pole," 6 Feb. 2019 But the cruel twist is that, like musical ability or inherited wealth, wine teeth are not distributed equally among the population. — Rachel Sugar, Vox, "Here is why you look like a vampire.," 18 Dec. 2018 This is why Josh Heupel inherits the toughest coaching job in America. — Mike Bianchi, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Finebaum: If UCF runs table again, he’s ‘all-in’ on national championship claims," 12 July 2018 Both have settled into spaces that have been neighborhood bars for decades, which has helped the owners avoid the cost of building a spot from scratch; the Slide Bar also inherited a grandfathered-in liquor license. — Emeline Posner, Chicago Reader, "One City Tap and Slide Bar prove there’s still a future for the south-side neighborhood bar," 21 June 2018 His hair was black, but his pale skin, inherited from his Polish father, never tanned. — Longreads, "The Cold War and its Fallout," 16 June 2018 And apparently she's inherited her disposition too, by the looks of it. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Jennifer Lopez’s Boyfriend Alex Rodriguez Is Already Close With Her Daughter Emme," 27 Dec. 2018 Dukedoms can only be inherited by male heirs, People reports. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "What Royal Titles Will Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Kids Have?," 15 Oct. 2018 In Warren’s case, 95 percent of her DNA has likely been inherited from European ancestors. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "What Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test can and can’t teach us about ancestry," 15 Oct. 2018These 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.
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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
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
: to take or hold a possession or rights by inheritance
Other Words from inherit
inheritor
\ in-ˈher-i-tər
\
noun
\
noun
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