heir
Someone who inherits, or is designated to inherit, the property of another.
Example
“My brother is the heir to our childhood house and yet has no interest in it.”
Other meanings
One who inherits, or has been designated to inherit, a hereditary title or office.
“As the heir to the British throne, the Prince of Wales is a very public figure.”
A successor in a role, representing continuity with the predecessor.
Related words
- coheir
- disheir
- forced heir
- heir apparency
- heir apparent
- heir at law
- heir-at-law
- heir by custom
- heirdom
- heiress
- heir general
- heirhead
Word history
From Latin "hērēs".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “heir” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.