Family / B1

in-HER-it/ɪnˈherɪt/

To inherit is to receive money, property, or a title after someone’s death: inherit a house; inherit from her father. You can also inherit a problem or a system (inherit a backlog). Inheritance is the noun; heir is the person. Receive is everyday and wider. Do not say inherit a present while someone is alive — that is a gift.

Meaning

To receive money, property, or a situation from someone after they die, or from the past.

Examples

• “She inherited the flat from her grandmother.”
• “He inherited the shop and the debts together.”
• “The new head inherited a staffing shortage, which is the “problem from the past” sense.”

Good to know

inherit + property / inherit a problem. Noun: inheritance. Person: heir. Alive + present = gift, not inherit.

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