inherit

[in-her-it]

verb (used with object)

1. to take or receive (property, a right, a title, etc.) by succession or will, as an heir.

   to inherit the family business.

2. to receive as if by succession from predecessors.

   the problems the new government inherited from the previous administration.

3. to receive (a genetic character or trait) by the transmission of hereditary factors.

4. to succeed (a person) as heir.

5. to receive as one's portion; come into possession of.

   to inherit his brother's old clothes.

verb (used without object)

1. to take or receive property or the like by virtue of being heir to it.

2. to receive qualities, powers, duties, etc., as by inheritance (followed byfrom ).

3. to have succession as heir.

inherit

/ ɪnˈhɛrɪt /

verb

1. to receive (property, a right, title, etc) by succession or under a will

2. (intr) to succeed as heir

3. (tr) to possess (a characteristic) through genetic transmission

4. (tr) to receive (a position, attitude, property, etc) from a predecessor

Other Word Forms

• inheritress noun
• inheritor noun
• inherited adjective
• preinherit verb (used with object)
• reinherit verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of inherit¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English en(h)erit(i)en, from Middle French enheriter, from Late Latin inhērēditāre “to make heir”; in- ³, hereditary

Word History and Origins

Origin of inherit¹

C14: from Old French enheriter, from Late Latin inhērēditāre to appoint an heir, from Latin hērēs _heir

Example Sentences

Yeah, it is my name, but I have inherited the tough women of my life, who have lived it as well.

From BBC

At the same time, they’ve inherited a vocabulary that lets them talk about the toll of routine sexualization with a clarity that previous generations lacked.

From Salon

The couple insist they are the rightful owners of the artwork, which they had inherited, according to Argentina's La Nacion newspaper.

From BBC

The government previously said it inherited a system "left on its knees" and is due to set out its plans for reform in a white paper in October.

From BBC

"They found through that I had a change and my husband had the change in the same area. So then that's when they discovered that Juno had inherited both copies."

From BBC

Related Words

• acquire 
• derive 
• obtain 
• receive 
• succeed 
• take over