heir

noun

ˈer How to pronounce heir (audio)
Definition of heirnext
as in inheritor
a person who has the right to inherit property upon his death, Mr. Parkworth's property was divided evenly among his heirs, four sons and three daughters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of heir The same is true in cases where a former prisoner dies and leaves money or other assets to their children, spouses and heirs. — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026 Sold in the 1920s to German steel heir Fritz Thyssen, the canvas was among those seized by the Nazis in 1940. — News Desk, Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026 If your heirs can’t make the payment or sell the home, the bank can foreclose. — Liz Knueven,kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026 The painting was later bought by Fritz Thyssen, heir to one of Germany’s leading industrial families. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heir
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heir
  1. inheritor
  2. legatee
  3. heiress
  4. descendant
Noun
  • Young and middle-aged inheritors are more digitally savvy and activism-oriented than older generations.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The hope behind the request was that the proud inheritor of the Byzantine empire could escape its associations with a pretty derpy American bird.
    — Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of inheritor
Noun
  • The old immigrants are likely to remain—in the manner of the occasional Wasp legatee (Wagner, Lindsay) who poked in during the buoyant sixties—more visitors to wars over civic power than victors in them.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Trump and allies, meanwhile, often cast him as legatee of Reagan.
    — David Jackson, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2024
Definition of legatee
Noun
  • As a daughter of Nancy Meyers, Annie Meyers-Shyer is essentially an heiress to one of the most recognizable and beloved interior aesthetics around, seen in movies like Father of the Bride, Something’s Gotta Give, The Parent Trap, and The Holiday.
    — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Then came an extravaganza on Times Square, which starred ultimate heiress Paris Hilton, on the runway.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of heiress
Noun
  • Canada would go on to work with NASA on the Canadarm robotic arm used on NASA's space shuttles, as well as the Canadarm2, its bigger descendant used on the International Space Station.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • As is typical for one of these many-decades-later brand extensions, our new protagonist is a literal descendant of the old protagonists.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of descendant

Phrases Containing heir

Browse Nearby Words

heinousness
heir
heir apparent
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heir.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heir. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on heir

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heir

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inscrutable

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All