Meaning & use

heir

noun·Academic

A person legally entitled to inherit property, a title, or a position when its current holder dies.

See it in a sentence

As the eldest son, he was named heir to the family estate.

The young prince is heir to the throne once his grandfather passes away.

A note on using this word

The 'h' in heir is silent; the word is often followed by 'to', as in 'heir to a fortune'.

Words with a similar meaning

successorbeneficiary

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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