inheritance
Use Inheritance in a sentence
ɪ noun
1.
2.
the genetic characters transmitted from parent to offspring, taken collectively.
3.
something, as a quality, characteristic, or other immaterial possession, received from progenitors or predecessors as if by succession: an inheritance of family pride.
4.
the act or fact of inheriting by succession, as if by succession, or genetically: to receive property by inheritance.
5.
portion; birthright; heritage: Absolute rule was considered the inheritance of kings.
Related forms
pre·in·her·it·ance, noun
Synonyms
1. patrimony; bequest. Inheritance, heritage denote something inherited. Inheritance is the common term for property or any possession that comes to an heir: He received the farm as an inheritance from his parents. Heritage indicates something that is bequeathed to a subsequent generation by an individual or by society: our cultural heritage from Greece and Rome.
1. patrimony; bequest. Inheritance, heritage denote something inherited. Inheritance is the common term for property or any possession that comes to an heir: He received the farm as an inheritance from his parents. Heritage indicates something that is bequeathed to a subsequent generation by an individual or by society: our cultural heritage from Greece and Rome.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To inheritance
00:10
Inheritance
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
inheritance (ɪnˈhɛrɪtəns) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | law |
| a. hereditary succession to an estate, title, etc | |
| b. the right of an heir to succeed to property on the death of an ancestor | |
| c. something that may legally be transmitted to an heir | |
| 2. | the act of inheriting |
| 3. | something inherited; heritage |
| 4. | the derivation of characteristics of one generation from an earlier one by heredity |
| 5. | obsolete hereditary rights |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
inheritance in·her·i·tance (ĭn-hěr'ĭ-təns)
n.
The process of genetic transmission of traits from parents to offspring.
A characteristic so inherited.
The sum of characteristics genetically transmitted from parents to offspring.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| inheritance (ĭn-hěr'ĭ-təns) Pronunciation Key
The process by which traits or characteristics pass from parents to offspring through the genes. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary
inheritance definition
programming, object-orientedIn object-oriented programming, the ability to derive new classes from existing classes. A derived class (or "subclass") inherits the instance variables and methods of the "base class" (or "superclass"), and may add new instance variables and methods. New methods may be defined with the same names as those in the base class, in which case they override the original one.
For example, bytes might belong to the class of integers for which an add method might be defined. The byte class would inherit the add method from the integer class.
See also Liskov substitution principle, multiple inheritance.
(2000-10-10)
Example sentences
There is evidence of genetic influence, but no clear pattern of inheritance.
And that-the inheritance of an acquired characteristic-is quite startling.
That's the generation that usually prefers to squander its inheritance rather than add to it.
Ball argues against the inheritance of certain conditions in animal life as brought about by use or disuse.
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