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inheritor

inheritor

7 4.6
A person who is allowed by law or a will to receive someone's property after they die
  • noun
  • /ɪnˈhɛrɪtər/
translation icon : heredero
  • Split between my four closest inheritors, each of you is entitled to a million bucks, give or take.
  • a direct inheritor

Examples

  • Known as Buffalo Bill, yet you are the descendent and sole inheritor of the Allen plantation.

  • As the inheritor of his estate... I take full legal responsibility.

  • I'm now the sole inheritor of my family's estate.

  • The Comte has named you, Madame, as the sole inheritor of his estate.

  • We are the inheritors.

  • The admiral wondered whether the new inheritors would remember his kindness or even recognize their tremendous accomplishments.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Although Christian, medieval Byzantines perceived themselves as inheritors and renovators of Greco-Roman culture.

    Academic text (2008)
  • As the sole inheritor of my grandmother's fortune, I was able to start my own business.

  • She was named the inheritor of his property, following the instructions in his will.

  • After his father's passing, he became the sole inheritor of the family estate.

Synonyms

heir
vsinheritor
179 4.6

A person who gets money, property, or a title when someone dies

emphasizes the legal entitlement specifically under will or law
beneficiary
vsinheritor
130 5.8

A person or organization who receives money and help from a will, trust and insurance

is specifically about inheriting property after someone's death
heiress
vsinheritor
31 7.0

A woman who receives money or property from someone who dies

is the broader legal concept not limited by gender
legatee
vsinheritor
  • Formal
1 9.1

A person who gets money or property from a will

also covers those who inherit by law, not only by a will
heir presumptive
vsinheritor
  • Formal
1 8.6

A person likely to inherit a title but who loses that right if a more eligible child is born

is the actual legal right to receive property after death
heritor
vsinheritor
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who gets property or money from someone who has died

is the more common expression for that same legal entitlement
inheritrix
vsinheritor
  • Archaic
9.9

A woman who receives property or a title from a family member who died

is the gender-neutral term used for any person with that right
inheritress
vsinheritor
  • Archaic
9.4

A woman who gets property or a title when someone dies

is the neutral legal label applying to any gender
heir-at-law
vsinheritor
  • Formal
9.5

A person who has the right to inherit by law when someone dies without a will

includes legal entitlement whether a will exists or not
coheir
vsinheritor
7.7

A person who shares money or property left by someone who died

can refer to a sole entitlement rather than a shared one
co-beneficiary
vsinheritor
  • Specialized
7.0

A person who shares a benefit from a will, insurance policy, or trust

is the single-person legal right to receive estate assets

Surface Forms

inheritor singular
inheritors plural

Morphology

inheritor = inherit (transparent) = inherit + or

Regular agent-noun formation from the verb 'inherit' with '-or'; the meaning 'person who inherits' is directly predictable.

Etymology

Inheritor comes from the verb inherit, which shares the root with heritage and the old word heir, all about things 'passed down' in a family. So, an inheritor is someone who 'receives' property or money from a person who has died or who gets it by law.