Definition of inheritancenext
as in legacy
something that is or may be inherited a keen sense of humor was her inheritance from her mother

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inheritance All the accounts of her story agree that this young heiress, named Maria de Lourdes Fernandes, witnessed the deaths of her parents; her guardian then locked her up and drove her to suicide to get her inheritance. — Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026 My grandmother handed my mother an inheritance that nobody named. — Miranda Pappas, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026 Samantha learns that her grandmother's inheritance has been stolen, forcing her to transition from socialite to shopgirl overnight. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026 Six months after Vincent’s suicide, Theo died from the ravages of syphilis, leaving Jo a young widow with a baby to support, not much money, and an unusual inheritance—Vincent’s paintings—more than 400 in total. — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inheritance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inheritance
Noun
  • Gulf War legacy The device addresses a persistent threat from munitions deployed during the 1991 Gulf War.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Bullish investors say that the tech leaders have long histories of operations, and legacy businesses that are dominant enough to prop them up for the foreseeable future.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Additionally, Jose has chosen his longtime executive assistant to vote his company shares going forward and has left her a substantial bequest—about $10 million at his death and $1 million a year thereafter.
    — Christina Wing, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In 1920, the trustees of Berea College, a private liberal arts school in Kentucky, passed a resolution placing future unrestricted bequests, donations made through people’s estates, in the school’s endowment.
    — Genevieve Shaker, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Since Jayawardhana took office July 1, donors have committed about $73 million in gifts.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • However, since the ornament is entered into a holiday gift exchange rather than gifted with proper intention, Tanya suddenly finds herself on the receiving end of everyone else’s misfortune.
    — Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Inheritance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inheritance. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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