heir

/ˈɛɚ/

noun 3verb 1

Collocations

(noun.)

ADJ

lawful, legal, legitimate, rightful

After his father's death, the eldest son became the legal heir to the family business.

natural, real, true

My grandmother's son is the natural heir to the family business.

direct

The king's direct heir will take the throne after his retirement next year.

immediate | designated | apparent, presumptive

heir)

When the king fell ill, his eldest son became the heir apparent to the throne.

sole | female, male

political, spiritual

The monastery chose a spiritual heir to continue the monk's teachings and traditions.

VERB + HEIR

have

The king had an heir, so his eldest son would inherit the throne.

beget, get, produce

The king needed to produce an heir to secure the future of the kingdom.

became, fall

When his uncle died, Marcus became heir to the family business and property.

PREP

~ to

After his grandfather's death, Maria became the rightful heir to the family business.

PHRASES

the heir to the throne, sb's son and heir

The prince is the heir to the throne and will become king one day.

Definitions

noun

Someone who inherits, or is designated to inherit, the property of another.

My brother is the heir to our childhood house and yet has no interest in it.

I am my father's heir and only son.

One who inherits, or has been designated to inherit, a hereditary title or office.

As the heir to the British throne, the Prince of Wales is a very public figure.

Now, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, William, 40, is the Prince of Wales and the heir to the British throne.

A successor in a role, representing continuity with the predecessor.

And I his heir in misery alone.

"I wish we were back in Tenth Street. But so many children came[…]and the Tenth Street house wasn't half big enough; and a dreadful speculative builder built this house and persuaded Austin to buy it. Oh, dear, and here we are among the rich and great; and the steel kings and copper kings and oil kings and their heirs and dauphins.[…]"

verb

To inherit.

[…] Leonard Houtz & John Myer to be executors to this my last will & testament & lastly my children shall heir equally, one as much as the other.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — a person who is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to

noun — a person who inherits some title or office

successor

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

Example Bank

My brother is the heir to our childhood house and yet has no interest in it.

Wiktionary

I am my father's heir and only son.

Wiktionary

As to eleemoſynary corporations, by the dotation the founder and his heirs are of common right the legal viſitors, to ſee that that property is rightly employed, which would otherwiſe have deſcended t

Wiktionary

[…] Leonard Houtz & John Myer to be executors to this my last will & testament & lastly my children shall heir equally, one as much as the other.

Wiktionary

The rich merchant adopted the boy and made him his heir.

Tatoeba · #18519

Which prince is the legitimate heir to the throne?

Tatoeba · #37965

Usage Notes

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