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View synonyms for

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 by from ).
  3. to have succession as heir.

inherit

/ ɪˈɛɪ /

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈٰ, noun:feminine
  • ˈٴǰ, noun
  • ˈٱ, adjective
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Other Word Forms

  • ··· verb (used with object)
  • ··· verb
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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 Գŧŧ徱 “to make heir”; in- 3, hereditary
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Word History and Origins

Origin of inherit1

C14: from Old French enheriter, from Late Latin Գŧŧ徱 to appoint an heir, from Latin ŧŧ heir
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"This government inherited a sector facing serious financial risk and has taken tough decisions to fix the foundations of higher education," the Department of Education said.

From

The influence of familial experiences on his work is evident, suggesting that memory is inherited.

From

"This government inherited an extremely damaged economy, NHS and social care sector, but we are turning this around through our Plan for Change," they said.

From

Pember inherited her mother’s scars and acquired some of her own.

From

He appointed more than 140 cardinals from non-European countries and bequeaths his successor a Church that is far more global in outlook than the one he inherited.

From

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inherentlyinheritable