inherit
verb
in·her·it
in-ˈher-ət 
-ˈhe-rət
inherited; inheriting; inherits
1
a
: to receive from an ancestor as a right or title descendible by law at the ancestor's death
b
: to receive as a devise or legacy
2
: to receive from a parent or ancestor by genetic transmission
inherit a defective enzyme
3
: to have in turn or receive as if from an ancestor
inherited the problem from his predecessor
4
: to come into possession of or receive especially as a right or divine portion
and every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters … for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life—
Matthew 19:29 (Revised Standard Version)
Matthew 19:29 (Revised Standard Version)
: to take or hold a possession or rights by inheritance
Examples of inherit in a Sentence
She inherited the family business from her father.
Baldness is inherited from the mother's side of the family.
She inherited her father's deep blue eyes.
She inherited a love of baseball from her dad.
When my brother left for college, I inherited his old computer.
The company's new president will inherit some complicated legal problems.
When the coach quit, her assistant inherited a last-place team.
Recent Examples on the Web
Steeped in fascinating tidbits about her life, Swift recounts how Harkness, who inherited the riches from her oil tycoon husband’s untimely death and even became the richest woman in America at one point, was considered an outcast and a madwoman for her unconventional choices and lavish lifestyle.
—Samantha Cooney, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Hemings arrived at Monticello as a toddler, one of more than 100 enslaved people inherited by Martha and Jefferson following Wayles’ death in 1773.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
Marlin investigates how trauma and stress can be inherited from one generation to the next.
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Marlin was named a 2017 STAT Wunderkind for her work studying how the hormone oxytocin affects mothers’ behavior.
—Nicholas Stfleur, STAT, 12 Apr. 2024
As Sweden followed an agnatic order of succession upon Carl Philip’s birth, meaning that only males could inherit the throne, he was born as the Crown Prince.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
For millennials and Generation Z, inheriting a labor market like none before, the concept of long-term employment and singular career paths seem far less plausible.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024
The duo, who live in India, inherited their wealth from their late father, Cyrus Mistry, who died in 2022 after a car crash near Mumbai.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
The city's mayor, Eric Adams, inherited a city that has seen a 71% increase in rat sightings since 2020, according to a city council member.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
Turns out, Phoenix inherited his mom’s unique laugh.
—Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Samantha Cooney, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Hemings arrived at Monticello as a toddler, one of more than 100 enslaved people inherited by Martha and Jefferson following Wayles’ death in 1773.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
Marlin investigates how trauma and stress can be inherited from one generation to the next.
advertisement
Marlin was named a 2017 STAT Wunderkind for her work studying how the hormone oxytocin affects mothers’ behavior.
—Nicholas Stfleur, STAT, 12 Apr. 2024
As Sweden followed an agnatic order of succession upon Carl Philip’s birth, meaning that only males could inherit the throne, he was born as the Crown Prince.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
For millennials and Generation Z, inheriting a labor market like none before, the concept of long-term employment and singular career paths seem far less plausible.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024
The duo, who live in India, inherited their wealth from their late father, Cyrus Mistry, who died in 2022 after a car crash near Mumbai.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
The city's mayor, Eric Adams, inherited a city that has seen a 71% increase in rat sightings since 2020, according to a city council member.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
Turns out, Phoenix inherited his mom’s unique laugh.
—Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inherit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near inherit
Cite this Entry
“Inherit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inherit. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inherit
verb
in·her·it
in-ˈher-ət
1
: to receive by legal right from a person at the person's death
2
: to receive by genetic transmission
inherit red hair
3
: to have handed on to one by someone else
inherit a job
inheritable
adjective
-ət-ə-bəl
Medical Definition
inherit
transitive verb
in·her·it
in-ˈher-ət
: to receive from a parent or ancestor by genetic transmission
Legal Definition
inherit
verb
in·her·it
in-ˈher-it
1
: to receive (property) from an estate by operation of the laws of intestacy
broadly
: to receive (property) either by will or through intestate succession
2
: succeed
: to take or hold a possession or rights by inheritance
Etymology
Middle French enheriter to make one an heir, from Late Latin inhereditare, from Latin in- in + hereditas inheritance
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