inherited

[ in-her-i-tid ]

adjective

1. received from or as if from one’s predecessors:

   Their wealth is from inherited properties, mostly through the estate of their mother’s parents.

   For the novelist Henry James, history, tradition, precedence, and established forms constituted the inherited wisdom of civilization.

2. received through genetic transmission:

   the family’s inherited trait of straight blond hair;

   kidney problems symptomatic of an inherited disorder.

3. Baseball. (of a base runner) allowed on base by a previous pitcher:

   The unlucky reliever balked, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch, allowed an inherited runner to score, and got only one out.

Other Words From

• half-in·her·it·ed adjective
• non·in·her·it·ed adjective
• qua·si-in·her·it·ed adjective
• un·in·her·it·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of inherited¹

First recorded in 1795–1800; inherit ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Coming into office in 2017, Trump inherited the longest economic recovery in U.S. history.

From Salon

Ms Majok says South Sudan "inherited an industry that was based on bad practices" when the country was formed in 2011 after it gained independence from Sudan.

From BBC

The MoJ spokesperson said the figures illustrated "the scale of the prison crisis the new Government inherited."

From BBC

She, her husband and their baby moved into their Camarillo home two weeks ago after she inherited it from her father.

From Los Angeles Times

On Wednesday, he noted that Harris inherited "extraordinary circumstances" and lauded the "clear vision" of her "historic campaign."

From Salon