First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
1heir
noun \ˈer\
: a person who has the legal right to receive the property of someone who dies
: a person who has the right to become a king or queen or to claim a title when the person holding it dies
Full Definition of HEIR
1
: one who inherits or is entitled to inherit property
2
: one who inherits or is entitled to succeed to a hereditary rank, title, or office <heir to the throne>
3
: one who receives or is entitled to receive some endowment or quality from a parent or predecessor
— heir·less \-ləs\ adjective
— heir·ship \-ˌship\ noun
See heir defined for English-language learners
See heir defined for kids
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Origin of HEIR
Middle English, from Anglo-French eir, heir, from Latin hered-, heres; akin to Greek chēros bereaved
Related to HEIR
- Synonyms
- heir at law, inheritor, legatee
Other Legal Terms
Rhymes with HEIR
air, Ayr, bare, bear, Blair, blare, care, chair, chare, dare, Dare, e'er, ere, err, eyre, fair, fare, flair, flare, glair, glare, hair, hare, Herr, lair, mare, ne'er, pair, pare, pear, prayer, rare, rear, scare, share, snare, spare, square, stair, stare, swear, tare, tear, their, there, vair, ware, wear, weir, where, yare
2heir
verb
HEIR Defined for Kids
heir
noun \ˈer\
Definition of HEIR for Kids
1
: a person who inherits or has the right to inherit property after the death of its owner
2
: a person who has legal claim to a title or a throne when the person holding it dies
Headscratcher for HEIR
Since an heir inherits, you might expect heir to sound like the -her- in inherit. Instead, heir sounds like air.
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