Inheritance definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

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Definitions (37)

American Heritage Dictionary (6)

noun The act of inheriting.
noun Something inherited or to be inherited.
noun Something regarded as a heritage: the cultural inheritance of Rome. See Synonyms at heritage.

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Century Dictionary (25)

The act of inheriting, in any sense of that word: as, the inheritance of property or of disease. You shall understand that Darius came not to his empyre by inheritaunce, but got into y seate of Cyrus by the benefite of Bagoas, hys eunuche. J. Brende, tr. of Quintus Curtius, fol. 143. In these laws of inheritance, as displayed under domestication, we see an ample provision for the production, through variability and natural selection, of new specific forms. Darwin, Var. of Animals and Plants, p. 61. Or how should England, dreaming of his sons, Hope more for these than some inheritance Of such a life, a heart, a mind? Tennyson, Idylls of the King, Ded. We are led to the conclusion that the oldest customs of inheritance in England and Germany were in their remote beginnings connected with a domestic religion and based upon a worship of ancestral spirits, of which the hearth-place was essentially the shrine and altar. C. Elton, Origins of Eng. Hist., p. 216.
In law, the estate cast upon the heir by law immediately on the death of the ancestor (Broom and Hadley); a legal right to real property not limited by years or the owner's life, so that it will pass by descent; an estate inuring to a person and his heirs; real estate. See estate of inheritance, under estate. The commons prayed that neither in parliament nor council should any one be put on trial for articles touching freehold and inheritance. Stubbs, Const. Hist., § 371.
That which is or may be inherited; the immovable property passing in a family by descent; in a more general sense, any property passing by death to those entitled to succeed; a patrimony; a heritage. And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? Gen. xxxi. 14. In all his ancient inheritances, he hath houses built after their manner like arbours. Capt. John Smith, Works, I. 142. My father's blessing and this little coin Is my inheritance. Beau. and Fl., Knight of Burning Pestle, ii. 2.

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Use vegetable poisons; poison your fathers, poison your mothers, poison all your families, and their inheritance will be yours-- fear nothing; you will go unpunished! — A Book of Remarkable Criminals
I think the whole money thing and her inheritance was a blessing in disguise because I find her to be more humbling. — Celebrity Baby Blog
All protection primitives use priority inheritance, which is a major plus for achieving real-time behavior! — MSDN Blogs
"But those vine-growers said to one another," This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours! ‟ — Recently Uploaded Slideshows
Your life consists not in what you enjoy, your inheritance is above, reserved in the heavens for you. — The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

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heritage · possession · endowment · estate · wealth · privilege · treasure · legacy · reward · destiny · heir · descent

Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (1)

Century Dictionary (1)

Formerly also enheritance; from Old French (Anglo-French) enheritance, enheritaunce, inheriting, from enheriter, inherit: see inherit.

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