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
On his Inauguration Day back in January 2021, President Joe Biden inherited a bad economy.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
Her daughter has inherited the music bug and sometimes even takes her Airpods out to talk to her mom.
—Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 2 Nov. 2024
The next president will nonetheless inherit an economy that is working pretty well both for households and businesses, Axios' Neil Irwin notes.
—Axios, 2 Nov. 2024
Orr inherited talented returners such as All-Pro safety Hamilton, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, inside linebacker Roquan Smith and defensive end Nnamdi Madubuike, who had 13 sacks in 2023.
—Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inherit 
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.
Chris Morris, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
Her daughter has inherited the music bug and sometimes even takes her Airpods out to talk to her mom.
—Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 2 Nov. 2024
The next president will nonetheless inherit an economy that is working pretty well both for households and businesses, Axios' Neil Irwin notes.
—Axios, 2 Nov. 2024
Orr inherited talented returners such as All-Pro safety Hamilton, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, inside linebacker Roquan Smith and defensive end Nnamdi Madubuike, who had 13 sacks in 2023.
—Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 1 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 22 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share