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
Its legacy was revitalized by brothers Mickey and Maury Riad, the firm’s creative director and chief executive officer, respectively, who inherited the company from their father, Maged Riad, in 1998.
—Sofia Celeste, WWD, 21 Nov. 2024
There’s the play kitchen her 3-year-old son inherited from his cousins.
—Anna North, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024
East Germans still lag behind west Germans in disposable income and inherit only half as much wealth.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Nov. 2024
And for now, Trump has the benefit of having inherited a U.S. economy that has performed very well, despite the many voters who voiced unhappiness about the economy that may have been Vice President Kamala Harris’ undoing.
—Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inherit 
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Sofia Celeste, WWD, 21 Nov. 2024
There’s the play kitchen her 3-year-old son inherited from his cousins.
—Anna North, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024
East Germans still lag behind west Germans in disposable income and inherit only half as much wealth.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Nov. 2024
And for now, Trump has the benefit of having inherited a U.S. economy that has performed very well, despite the many voters who voiced unhappiness about the economy that may have been Vice President Kamala Harris’ undoing.
—Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inherit
Dictionary Entries Near inherit
Cite this Entry
“Inherit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inherit. Accessed 1 Dec. 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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