heritage

noun

her·​i·​tage ˈher-ə-tij How to pronounce heritage (audio)
ˈhe-rə-
Synonyms of heritagenext
1
: property that descends to an heir
2
a
: something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor : legacy, inheritance
proud of her Chinese heritage
a rich heritage of folklore
The battlefields are part of our heritage and should be preserved.
b
: tradition
the party's heritage of secularism
3
: something possessed as a result of one's natural situation or birth : birthright
the heritage of natural freedom was long since cast away—V. L. Parrington

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of heritage in a Sentence

hospitality is a cherished Southern heritage this farm is my heritage from my father, as it was for him from his father
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Toro, whose parents are of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, grew up mostly in Colorado. —Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024 An additional 15 heritage and novelty balloons will also be featured during the parade along with 22 floats. —Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 21 Nov. 2024 Fortuny said the official launch of its latest textile collection is the ideal fusion of its heritage and Minassian’s layered, multicultural approach to design. —Sofia Celeste, WWD, 21 Nov. 2024 That’s just one advantage of staying here, in this collection of four buildings, one a new build and three heritage protected, dating from the early 1900’s. —Laurie Werner, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for heritage 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English heritage, eritage, borrowed from Anglo-French, from heriter "to inherit, make an heir" (going back to Late Latin hērēditāre "to leave as an inheritance, inherit, make an heir," from Latin hērēd-, hērēs heir entry 1 + -itāre, verb suffix) + -age -age

Note: The Latin verb suffix -itāre normally has repetitive or frequentative value (cf. hesitate, meditate, palpitate), not factitive or causative value, so in this instance it may be of distinct origin. A possible model is the adjective hērēditārius (see hereditary), in the formation of which a stem hērēdit- appears to have been extracted from the noun hērēditāt-, hērēditās "succession to an heir, inheritance," by construing the suffix as -āt-, -ās (or, alternatively, *hērēditātārius was shortened by haplology to hērēditārius).

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heritage was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near heritage

heritably

heritage

heritance

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Heritage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heritage. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

heritage

noun
her·​i·​tage ˈher-ət-ij How to pronounce heritage (audio)
1
: property that is handed down to an heir
2
: something acquired from the past
a rich heritage of folklore

More from Merriam-Webster on heritage

Nglish: Translation of heritage for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of heritage for Arabic Speakers

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