Synonyms and antonyms of Inheritance, inheriting and heritage in British Thesaurus

an accident of birth ()

a situation caused by who your family is rather than by anything you do

be descended from ()

to be related to a person or animal that lived long ago

beneficiary (noun)

someone who gets money or other things from someone who has died

bequeath (verb)

formal to give someone money or property after you die by making a legal document called a will

bequeather (noun)

a person who leaves personal property to someone in their will

bequest (noun)

formal money or property that you give to someone after you die by making a legal document called a will

birthright (noun)

old-fashioned a right to own something as a member of a family

claimant (noun)

someone who says that they have a right to something, especially something that belonged to someone who has died

come down to ()

to become someone’s property because the previous owner has died

come into ()

if you come into something, it becomes yours when someone dies

come to ()

to become someone’s property, especially because the previous owner has died

cut off ()

to prevent someone from ever receiving your money or property

devise (noun)

real property such as buildings or land left to someone in a will

devisee (noun)

a person who is left property such as buildings or land in a will

devisor (noun)

a person who leaves property such as buildings or land to someone else in a will

devolve to ()

to become someone’s property when someone else dies

disinherit (verb)

to make legal arrangements so that a close relative, especially your son or daughter, will not receive any of your money or property when you die

down (adjective)

used for saying that something is given to the next generation (=people who are alive after you die)

entail (verb)

formallegal an old word meaning to arrange for property to be given to someone when you die

escheat (noun)

the legal process by which the property of a person without a will may revert to the state after they die

estate (noun)

all the property and money that belongs to someone, especially someone who has just died

execute (verb)

legal to make certain that the instructions in someone’s will are followed after they die

from father to son ()

from one generation or period in history to the next

heir (noun)

someone who will receive money, property, or a title when another person dies

heir apparent (noun)

an heir whose right to a rank or title cannot be taken away if another heir is born

heiress (noun)

a woman or girl who will receive money or property when another person dies

heirloom (noun)

a valuable or special possession that has belonged to a family for many years

hereditament (noun)

old-fashioned any kind of property that can be inherited

hereditary (adjective)

legal a hereditary title or right is officially passed from a parent to their child

heritable (adjective)

if items are heritable, they can be inherited after the owner's death

inherit (verb)

to receive property or money from someone who has died

inherit (verb)

to receive a right or an official social position that belonged to a relative who has died

inherit (verb)

to be born with the same appearance or character as one of your parents

inheritance (noun)

property or money that you receive from someone when they die

inheritance (noun)

the process of inheriting money or property

inheritance (noun)

something that you receive from your parents or from people who lived before you

inheritance (noun)

the process of receiving something from your parents or from people who lived before you

inheritance law (noun)

the field of law dealing with the distribution of a person's money and property after their death

inherited (adjective)

inherited money or property has been given to someone when the previous owner died

inheritor (noun)

someone who inherits something

intestacy (noun)

the state of not having made a will

intestate (adjective)

if you die intestate, you die without making a will explaining what you want to happen to your money and possessions

leave (verb)

to give something to someone after you die, in a will

leave (verb)

formal to have close family members who continue to live after you die

legacy (noun)

money or property that you arrange for someone to have after you die

legatee (noun)

someone who receives a legacy (=money or property from someone who has died)

letters of administration (noun)

powers granted by a court that allow someone to administer the property of a person who died without making a will or naming living executors

patrimony (noun)

formal possessions and property that someone gets from their father after he dies

posterity (noun)

the people who will live in the future after you are dead

primogeniture (noun)

the legal right of an eldest son to get his father’s property after his father dies

probate (noun)

the process of proving that a will (=a document with the details of who gets your property when you die) can be accepted as legally correct

probate registry (noun)

in England and Wales, a special court that deals with the administration of wills

settle someone’s estate ()

to deal with what happens to someone’s property and money after they die

something is in your blood ()

it is natural for you to do something because your family has done it in the past

something runs in the/someone’s family ()

if something such as a quality or disease runs in someone’s family, a lot of people in the family have it

testament (noun)

a will

testamentarily (adverb)

in a way that relates to a will

testamentary (adjective)

relating to a will

testator (noun)

a person who makes a will

testatrix (noun)

a female testator

will (noun)

legal a legal document that explains what you want to happen to your money and possessions after you die. This is often more formally called a last will and testament

will (verb)

to formally give someone something after you die by stating it in a will