What does disinheritance mean?
Disinheritance is the act — or resulting condition — of depriving someone, most often a child or other close relative, of the right to receive property from a deceased person's estate. It is typically accomplished through a will or trust that deliberately omits the heir or expressly excludes them, and it stands in direct opposition to inheritance. While the term has precise legal meaning in matters of probate and succession, it also carries strong emotional weight: disinheritance frequently signals a profound rupture in a family relationship, whether caused by estrangement, disapproval, remarriage, or conflict over values. Journalists and novelists alike invoke it as shorthand for dramatic family breakdowns over wealth. Notably, many legal systems limit the practice — spouses and sometimes children are entitled to statutory shares regardless of a will's terms. The word derives ultimately from the Latin 'heres', meaning heir.
nounThe act or fact of depriving someone, especially a family member and typically an heir, of the right to inherit property or assets, usually by means of a will or legal provision.
- The act of legally depriving someone (especially a child or other heir) of their right to inherit from one's estate.
- The state or condition of having been deprived of such inheritance rights.
"His father's disinheritance of him came as no surprise after their bitter falling-out."
"The threat of disinheritance hung over every argument in the family."
"She wrote about her disinheritance with surprising equanimity, insisting that money had never defined their bond."
Rarely pluralized; the uncountable singular is standard except when referring to multiple distinct cases.
"Historical records reveal several notable disinheriting disputes among the aristocracy."
In many jurisdictions, you can't actually fully disinherit your spouse — forced-share laws mean some heirs get a cut whether you like it or not.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of disinheritance
Disinheritance derives from the verb 'disinherit', formed by adding the negative prefix 'dis-' to 'inherit'. 'Inherit' traces back through Old French 'enheriter' to Late Latin 'hereditare' ('to inherit'), from Latin 'heres' ('heir'). The noun form arose in English following the verb, with the '-ance' suffix marking the action or result. Its cognates include 'heritage', 'heir', and 'hereditary', all rooted in the same Latin stem.
Related word forms
How disinheritance is actually used
Formal register, used chiefly in legal, journalistic, and literary contexts discussing wills, estates, and family relations. The word often carries emotional connotations of familial rupture beyond its strictly legal meaning.
Easily confused with disinheritance
Disinheritance is specifically the legal removal of an heir's right to inherit, whereas disownment is a broader personal repudiation of a family relationship that may have no legal effect.