inherit

verb

in·​her·​it in-ˈher-ət 

-ˈhe-rət

inherited; inheriting; inherits

transitive verb

1

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

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

inheritor

in-ˈher-ə-tər 

-ˈhe-rə-

noun

inheritress

in-ˈher-ə-trəs 

-ˈhe-rə-

noun

or inheritrix

in-ˈher-ə-(ˌ)triks 

-ˈhe-rə-

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

The duo, who live in India, inherited their wealth from their late father, Cyrus Mistry, who died in 2022 after a car crash near Mumbai. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024

The city's mayor, Eric Adams, inherited a city that has seen a 71% increase in rat sightings since 2020, according to a city council member. —CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024

Turns out, Phoenix inherited his mom’s unique laugh. —Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024

If a New York resident dies intestate, leaving a spouse and their biological children, the spouse inherits the first $50,000 of the estate plus half of the balance, and the rest goes to the children, according to an analysis by the online estate planning site Trustandwill.com. —USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024

Rebuilding The Biden administration inherited a program that had been stripped to the bone during the Trump years. —Hamed Aleaziz, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024

Klimek: Part of the work Samantha inherited from her sister Sasha was about how the Haudenosaunee marked time and location by observing the stars and planets. —Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

Can an adult child inherit a deceased parent’s Social Security payments and pension? —Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024

The Carter kids inherited their parents' work ethic, which became obvious when Beyoncé and Jay-Z's eldest, Blue Ivy, morphed into a backup dancer before our very eyes during her mom's Renaissance World Tour last year. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 4

Kids Definition

inherit

verb

in·​her·​it in-ˈher-ət 

1

: to receive by legal right from a person at the person's death

2

: to receive by genetic transmission

inherit red hair

3

: to have handed on to one by someone else

inherit a job

inheritable

-ət-ə-bəl

adjective

inheritor

-ət-ər 

noun

Medical Definition

inherit

transitive verb

in·​her·​it in-ˈher-ət 

: to receive from a parent or ancestor by genetic transmission

Legal Definition

inherit

verb

in·​her·​it in-ˈher-it 

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

inheritor

in-ˈher-i-tər 

noun

Etymology

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