An heir is someone who has the right to inherit a person's money, property, or title when that person dies.
His heir, Lord Doune, cuts a bit of a dash in the city.
...the heir to the throne.
Synonyms: successor, beneficiary, inheritor, heiressfem. More Synonyms of heir
heir in British English
(ɛə)
noun
1. civil law
the person legally succeeding to all property of a deceased person, irrespective of whether such person died testate or intestate, and upon whom devolves as well as the rights the duties and liabilities attached to the estate
2.
any person or thing that carries on some tradition, circumstance, etc, from a forerunner
3. an archaic word for offspring
Derived forms
heirless (ˈheirless)
adjective
Word origin
C13: from Old French, from Latin hērēs; related to Greek khēros bereaved
heir in American English
(ɛr)
noun
1.
a person who inherits or is legally entitled to inherit, through the natural action of the law, another's property or title upon the other's death
2.
anyone who receives property of a deceased person either by will or by law
3.
a person who appears to get some trait from, or carries on in the tradition of, a predecessor
Word origin
ME < OFr < L heres: see heredity
Examples of 'heir' in a sentence
heir
There is no heir apparent to engage in intrigue against him.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Rebecca did not care much to go and see the son and heir.
William Thackeray Vanity Fair (1837)
Next year will be time to produce the heir.
The Sun (2012)
He saw that as part of the job of the heir apparent.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
And what do you do when you come face to face with your supposed heir apparent?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He has not done as well as he should have this week to be considered the natural heir apparent.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Suppose a rightful heir to it should at any time appear, would you then resign the property to him?
Frederick Marryat The Children of the New Forest (1847)
The true heirs to the Romans?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
After the war thousands of complaints were made, alleging that it was failing in its task to track down rightful heirs.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He is the natural heir to the throne of King Carl.
The Sun (2014)
Their heirs would inherit the crowns of England and France in perpetuity.
Christina Hardyment Malory: The Life and Times of King Arthur's Chronicler (2005)
America's original art form is 100 years old and was in danger of fading until some of its natural heirs began to revive it.
Christianity Today (2000)
In other languages
heir
British English: heir /ɛə/ NOUN
Someone's heir is the person who will inherit their money, property, or title when they die.
He was the only heir to his grandparents' fortune.
American English: heir
Arabic: وَرِيثٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: herdeiro
Chinese: 继承人
Croatian: nasljednik
Czech: dědic
Danish: arving
Dutch: erfgenaam
European Spanish: heredero
Finnish: perillinen
French: héritier
German: Erbe
Greek: κληρονόμος
Italian: erede
Japanese: 相続人
Korean: 상속인
Norwegian: arving
Polish: spadkobierca
European Portuguese: herdeiro
Romanian: moștenitor
Russian: наследник
Latin American Spanish: heredero
Swedish: arvinge
Thai: ทายาท
Turkish: varis
Ukrainian: спадкоємець
Vietnamese: người thừa kế nam
Chinese translation of 'heir'
heir
(ɛəʳ)
n(c)
继(繼)承人 (jìchéngrén) (位, wèi)
to be (the) heir to sth是某物的继(繼)承人 (shì mǒuwù de jìchéngrén)
the heir to the throne王位的继(繼)承人 (wángwèi de jìchéngrén)
(noun)
Definition
the person legally succeeding to the property of a deceased person
the heir to the throne
Synonyms
successor
He set out several principles that he hopes will guide his successors.
beneficiary
a sole beneficiary of a will
inheritor
Two thirds of inheritors promptly sold the houses they were left.
heiress
scion
He was the scion of an aristocratic family that lost its fortune in the revolution.
next in line
inheritress or inheritrix
Additional synonyms
in the sense of beneficiary
Definition
a person entitled to receive funds or property under a trust, will, etc.
a sole beneficiary of a will
Synonyms
heir,
inheritor
in the sense of inheritor
Two thirds of inheritors promptly sold the houses they were left.
Synonyms
heir,
successor,
recipient,
beneficiary,
legatee
in the sense of scion
Definition
a descendant or young member of a family
He was the scion of an aristocratic family that lost its fortune in the revolution.