inheritance

C1 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ɪnˈhɛɹɪtəns/ See IPA manual

noun Freq #7260

Meanings

1

noun
Money or property received from someone who has died.

She used her inheritance to buy a small house.
2

noun
A quality, tradition, or thing passed down from earlier generations.

A love of music was her inheritance from her parents.
3

noun
The passing of physical traits from parents to their offspring.

Eye colour is determined by genetic inheritance.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · money or property received... heritage

2 noun · a quality, tradition, or... heritage

3 noun · the passing of physical... hereditary pattern

Word family

Forms inheritances

Derived forms coinheritance disinheritancemisinheritancenoninheritancepreheritance

Related forms inherit inheritable inheritorinheritressinheritrix

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English enheritaunce, inheritaunce, borrowed from Anglo-Norman, Old French enheritaunce, from enheriter. By surface analysis, inherit + -ance.

enheritaunce Middle English

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Topics

Space, Position & Direction

# inheritance

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ɪnˈhɛɹɪtəns
**Frequency rank:** 7260

## Meanings
1. Money or property received from someone who has died.
2. A quality, tradition, or thing passed down from earlier generations.
3. The passing of physical traits from parents to their offspring.

## Examples
- She used her inheritance to buy a small house.
- A love of music was her inheritance from her parents.
- Eye colour is determined by genetic inheritance.

## Derived Forms
- coinheritance
- disinheritance
- misinheritance
- noninheritance
- preheritance

## Related Forms
- inherit
- inheritable
- inheritor
- inheritress
- inheritrix

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: enheritaunce

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English enheritaunce, inheritaunce, borrowed from Anglo-Norman, Old French enheritaunce, from enheriter. By surface analysis, inherit + -ance.

## AI Etymology
Inheritance is inherited from Middle English enheritaunce, inheritaunce, borrowed from Anglo-Norman, Old French enheritaunce, from enheriter. By surface analysis, inherit + -ance. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it can mean money or property received from someone who has died, or a quality, tradition, or thing passed down from earlier generations. Related forms include inherit, inheritable, inheritor, inheritress, inheritrix. Derived formations include coinheritance, disinheritance, misinheritance, noninheritance, preheritance.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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inheritance

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