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Inheritance definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INHER'ITANCE, n. An estate derived from an ancestor to an heir by succession or in course of law; or an estate which the law casts on a child or other person, as the representative of the deceased ancestor.
1. The reception of an estate by hereditary right, or the descent by which an estate or title is cast on the heir; as, the heir received the estate by inheritance.
2. The estate or possession which may descend to an heir, though it has not descended.
And Rachel and Leah answered and said, is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? Genesis 31.
3. An estate given or possessed by donation or divine appropriation. Numbers 26.
4. That which is possessed or enjoyed.
Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. Psalms 2.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: hereditary succession to a title or an office or property [syn: inheritance, heritage]
2: that which is inherited; a title or property or estate that passes by law to the heir on the death of the owner [syn: inheritance, heritage]
3: (genetics) attributes acquired via biological heredity from the parents [syn: inheritance, hereditary pattern]
4: any attribute or immaterial possession that is inherited from ancestors; "my only inheritance was my mother's blessing"; "the world's heritage of knowledge" [syn: inheritance, heritage]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 14th century 1. a. the act of inheriting property b. the reception of genetic qualities by transmission from parent to offspring c. the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations 2. something that is or may be inherited 3. a. tradition b. a valuable possession that is a common heritage from nature 4. obsolete possession

Britannica Concise

Devolution of property on an heir or heirs upon the death of its owner. In civil-law jurisdictions it is called succession. The concept depends on a common acceptance of the notion of private ownership of goods and property. Under some systems, land is considered communal property and rights to it are redistributed, rather than bequeathed, on the death of a community member. In many countries, a minimum portion of the decedent's estate must be assigned to the surviving spouse and often to the progeny as well. Intestacy laws, which govern the inheritance of estates whose distribution is not directed by a will, universally view kinship between the decedent and the beneficiary as a primary consideration. Inheritance usually entails payment of an inheritance tax. See also intestate succession, probate.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 something that is inherited. 2 a the act of inheriting. b an instance of this. Phrases and idioms: inheritance tax a tax levied on property etc. acquired by gift or inheritance. Usage: Introduced in the UK in 1986 to replace Capital Transfer Tax. Etymology: ME f. AF inheritaunce f. OF enheriter: see INHERIT

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Inheritance In*her"it*ance, n. [Cf. OF. enheritance.] 1. The act or state of inheriting; as, the inheritance of an estate; the inheritance of mental or physical qualities. 2. That which is or may be inherited; that which is derived by an heir from an ancestor or other person; a heritage; a possession which passes by descent. When the man dies, let the inheritance Descend unto the daughter. --Shak. 3. A permanent or valuable possession or blessing, esp. one received by gift or without purchase; a benefaction. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. --1 Pet. i. 4. 4. Possession; ownership; acquisition. ``The inheritance of their loves.'' --Shak. To you th' inheritance belongs by right Of brother's praise; to you eke ?longs his love. --Spenser. 5. (Biol.) Transmission and reception by animal or plant generation. 6. (Law) A perpetual or continuing right which a man and his heirs have to an estate; an estate which a man has by descent as heir to another, or which he may transmit to another as his heir; an estate derived from an ancestor to an heir in course of law. --Blackstone. Note: The word inheritance (used simply) is mostly confined to the title to land and tenements by a descent. --Mozley & W. Men are not proprietors of what they have, merely for themselves; their children have a title to part of it which comes to be wholly theirs when death has put an end to their parents' use of it; and this we call inheritance. --Locke.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(inheritances) 1. An inheritance is money or property which you receive from someone who has died. She feared losing her inheritance to her stepmother. N-VAR 2. If you get something such as job, problem, or attitude from someone who used to have it, you can refer to this as an inheritance. ...the situation that was Truman's inheritance as President. N-COUNT: usu sing, with supp, oft with poss 3. Your inheritance is the particular characteristics or qualities which your family or ancestors had and which you are born with. Eye colour shows your genetic inheritance. N-SING: also no det, with supp

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

in-her'-i-tans (nahalah, "something inherited," "occupancy," "heirloom," "estate," "portion"): The word is used in its widest application in the Old Testament Scriptures, referring not only to an estate received by a child from its parents, but also to the land received by the children of Israel as a gift from Yahweh. And in the figurative and poetical sense, the expression is applied to the kingdom of God as represented in the consecrated lives of His followers. In a similar sense, the Psalmist is represented as speaking of the Lord as the portion of his inheritance. In addition to the above word, the King James Version translations as inheritance, morashah, "a possession," "heritage" (De 33:4; Eze 33:24); yerushshah, "something occupied," "a patrimony," "possession" (Jud 21:17); cheleq, "smoothness," "allotment" (Ps 16:5); kleronomeo, "to inherit" (Mt 5:5, etc.); kleronomos, "heir" (Mt 21:38, etc.); kleronomia, "heirship," "patrimony, "possession"; or kleros, "an acquisition" "portion," "heritage," from kleroo, "to assign," "to allot," "to obtain an inheritance" (Mt 21:38; Lu 12:13; Ac 7:5; 20:32; 26:18; Ga 3:18; Eph 1:11,14,18; 5:5; Col 1:12; 3:24; Heb 1:4; 9:15; 11:8; 1Pe 1:4).

The Pentateuch distinguishes clearly between real and personal property, the fundamental idea regarding the former being the thought that the land is God's, given by Him to His children, the people of Israel, and hence, cannot be alienated (Le 25:23,28). In order that there might not be any respecter of persons in the division, the lot was to determine the specific piece to be owned by each family head (Nu 26:52-56; 33:54). In case, through necessity of circumstances, a homestead was sold, the title could pass only temporarily; for in the year of Jubilee every homestead must again return to the original owner or heir (Le 25:25-34). Real estate given to the priesthood must be appraised, and could be redeemed by the payment of the appraised valuation, thus preventing the transfer of real property even in this case (Le 27:14-25). Inheritance was controlled by the following regulations:

(1) The firstborn son inherited a double portion of all the father's possession (De 21:15-17);

(2) the daughters were entitled to an inheritance, provided there were no sons in the family (Nu 27:8);

(3) in case there were no direct heirs, the brothers or more distant kinsmen were recognized (27:9-11); in no case should an estate pass from one tribe to another.

The above points were made the subject of statutory law at the instance of the daughters of Zelophehad, the entire case being clearly set forth in Nu 27$; 36$.

Frank E. Hirsch

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Inheriting. 2. Heritage, patrimony.

Moby Thesaurus

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