patrimony

noun

pat·​ri·​mo·​ny ˈpa-trə-ˌmō-nē 

1

a

: an estate inherited from one's father or ancestor

there were always children, and the patrimony was divided every time

—D. H. Lawrence

b

: anything derived from one's father or ancestors : heritage

These historic landmarks are an important part of our cultural patrimony.

2

: an estate or endowment belonging by ancient right to a church

canon law … aims at conserving the patrimony of the diocese

—T. J. Reese

patrimonial

ˌpa-trə-ˈmō-nē-əl 

adjective

Synonyms

• bequest
• birthright
• heritage
• inheritance
• legacy

Examples of patrimony in a Sentence

These historic landmarks are an important part of our cultural patrimony.

her patrimony was the family's newspaper business

Recent Examples on the Web

How had these criminals shown such disregard for what Germans considered a cornerstone of the national patrimony? —Jesse Hyde, Town & Country, 16 Aug. 2023

The collections are considered French national patrimony, just like the art in the Louvre, Lalis says. —Madeleine Schwartz, The New York Review of Books, 27 July 2023

Antiquities dealers vied for these and other objects of cultural patrimony to offer for sale in galleries and auctions. —AZCentral.com, 5 June 2023

Recorded music is arguably America’s great artistic patrimony, our supreme gift to world culture. —Hallel Yadin, Longreads, 24 Mar. 2022

That fierce dedication to human knowledge, that determination to keep cultural patrimony alive for future generations, has characterized every place he’s worked across the world. —Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 May 2021

So, is naming new species and dutifully returning a nation’s patrimony the end goal of this science adventure? —Paul Sereno, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2023

The 1990 federal law mandates that museums receiving federal money must return human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony to their descendants or original community. —Riley Rogerson, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Apr. 2023

This is our patrimony. —Bruce Bartlett, The New Republic, 31 Aug. 2020

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English patrimoine, patrimonie, from Anglo-French patremoine, from Latin patrimonium, from patr-, pater father

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

patrimony

noun

pat·​ri·​mo·​ny ˈpa-trə-ˌmō-nē 

plural patrimonies

1

: an estate inherited from one's father or ancestors

2

: something passed down from one's father or ancestors : heritage

patrimonial

ˌpa-trə-ˈmō-nē-əl 

adjective

Legal Definition

patrimony

noun

pat·​ri·​mo·​ny ˈpa-trə-ˌmō-nē 

plural patrimonies

1

: an estate inherited from one's father or ancestor

to deprive her and her coheirs of their patrimony

—Wells Fargo Bank v. Kincaid, 260 Cal. App. 2d 120 (1968)

2

: an estate or endowment belonging to a church

the property of a dissolved parish shall pass to the patrimony of the diocese

3

in the civil law of Louisiana : the net assets of a person : the sum of a person's assets and liabilities

reimbursement shall be made from the patrimony of the spouse who owes reimbursement

—Louisiana Civil Code

Etymology

Middle French patrimonie, from Latin patrimonium, from patr- pater father