Meaning & use

heirloom

noun·Academic

A valuable object passed down within a family through several generations.

See it in a sentence

The gold watch was a family heirloom passed from father to son.

She wore her grandmother's heirloom necklace on her wedding day.

A note on using this word

"Heirloom" can also modify plant varieties, such as "heirloom tomatoes," meaning old, traditionally grown varieties.

Words with a similar meaning

keepsake

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

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