heir apparent

noun

plural heirs apparent

: an heir whose right to an inheritance is indefeasible except by exclusion under a valid will if he or she survives the ancestor

: heir presumptive

: one whose succession especially to a position or role appears certain under existing circumstances

Examples of heir apparent in a Sentence

The coach named her assistant as her heir apparent.

Recent Examples on the Web

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The son of real estate developer Fred Trump, Donald graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and soon became his father’s heir apparent and the president of the family business. —

Radhika Seth, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024 With fewer than ninety days until the election, the point of the anecdote was supposed to be about Harris—his heir apparent and handpicked successor. —

Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2024 Namal Rajapaksa, the heir apparent to the once-powerful Rajapaksa clan, is also contesting. —

Krishan Francis, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Sep. 2024 Once upon a time, Sanchez was the fifth pick in the 2009 draft by the New York Jets, the heir apparent to franchise icon Joe Namath. —

Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for heir apparent