English Explanatory Dictionary

inheritance

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The passing of title to an estate upon death.
  2. That which a person is entitled to inherit, by law or testament, such as the part of an estate (i.e., a portion).
  3. The act or mechanism of inheriting; the state of having inherited.
  4. The biological attributes passed hereditarily from ancestors to their offspring.
  5. The mechanism whereby parts of a superclass are available to instances of its subclass.

Pronunciation

/ɪnˈhɛɹɪtəns/ /ɪnˈhɛɹɪˌtəns/ En-us-inheritance.ogg

Word forms

inheritance inheritances enheritance enheritaunce inheritaunce inhæritance

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English enheritaunce, inheritaunce, borrowed from Anglo-Norman, Old French enheritaunce, from enheriter. By surface analysis, inherit + -ance.

Related words

inherit inheritable inheritor inheritress inheritrix

Derived words

blending inheritance coinheritance composition over inheritance disinheritance inheritance law inheritance powder inheritance tax misinheritance noninheritance particulate inheritance preheritance widow inheritance
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