What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Heir vs Inheritance - What's the difference?

heir | inheritance |

As nouns the difference between heir and inheritance

is that heir is someone who inherits, or is designated to inherit, the property of another while inheritance is the passing of title to an estate upon death.

heir

English

Noun

(en noun) (Inheritance)
  • Someone who inherits, or is designated to inherit, the property of another.
  • *(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • *:I am my father's heir and only son.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1959, author=(Georgette Heyer), title=(The Unknown Ajax), chapter=1
  • , passage=And no use for anyone to tell Charles that this was because the Family was in mourning for Mr Granville Darracott […]: Charles might only have been second footman at Darracott Place for a couple of months when that disaster occurred, but no one could gammon him into thinking that my lord cared a spangle for his heir .}}
  • One who inherits, or has been designated to inherit, a hereditary title or office.
  • A successor in a role, representing continuity with the predecessor.
  • *(Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)
  • *:And I his heir in misery alone.
  • *
  • *:"I wish we were back in Tenth Street. But so many children came"
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-05-11, volume=407, issue=8835, page=12, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= What a waste , passage=India is run by gerontocrats and epigones: grey hairs and groomed heirs .}}

    inheritance

    Alternative forms

    * enheritance (obsolete) * enheritaunce (obsolete) * inheritaunce (obsolete)

    Noun

  • The passing of title to an estate upon death.
  • (lb) That which a person is entitled to inherit, by law or testament.
  • (lb) The biological attributes passed hereditarily from ancestors to their offspring.
  • In object-oriented programming, the mechanism whereby parts of a superclass are available to instances of its subclass.
  • References

    * (EtymOnLine)