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)
2a : to receive from an ancestor as a right or title descendible by law at the ancestor's deathb : 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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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
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Children have a 50-50 chance of inheriting that gene mutation from a parent with it.
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Jerry, 75, started farming in 1973, and what started as a lifestyle inherited from his father blossomed into a long-lasting family operation.
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In the short term, Strong inherits a team favored to win the American Athletic Conference.
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In the short term, Strong inherits a team favored to win the American Athletic Conference.
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In the short term, Strong inherits a team favored to win the American Athletic Conference.
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Both parents must have the gene for a baby to inherit the disease.
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The glitch under scrutiny — which can arise spontaneously or be inherited — is found in just 4 percent of cancers overall.
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McNeice was a rich kid who'd inherited millions from his family's uranium mining fortune.
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
First Known Use: 14th century
INHERIT Defined for English Language Learners
inherit
playDefinition of inherit for English Language Learners
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: to receive (money, property, etc.) from someone when that person dies
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biology : to have (a characteristic, disease, etc.) because of the genes that you get from your parents when you are born
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: to get (a personal quality, interest, etc.) because of the influence or example of your parents or other relatives
INHERIT Defined for Kids
inherit
playDefinition 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
playMedical Definition of inherit
: to receive from a parent or ancestor by genetic transmission
Law Dictionary
inherit
playLegal 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
Origin and Etymology of inherit
Middle French enheriter to make one an heir, from Late Latin inhereditare, from Latin in- in + hereditas inheritance
Learn More about inherit
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See words that rhyme with inherit Spanish Central: Translation of inherit Nglish: Translation of inherit for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of inherit for Arabic speakers
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