What does inhered mean?
Inherited means having received something from an earlier owner, ancestor, or source. The word is most often used for property, money, titles, and legal rights that pass to someone after the previous holder's death, but it can also describe inherited characteristics such as a facial feature, a talent, or a tendency in a family. In ordinary conversation, “inherited a fortune” is a familiar use, while “inherited a title” may suggest royalty, nobility, or a long-established family tradition. The verb can also be extended beyond literal family inheritance: a person may inherit a position, responsibility, problem, or feature from something that came before. Inherited is the past tense and past participle of inherit and is used in both formal and informal English.
verbInherited, in the past tense, means received something from a predecessor or predecessor's family, especially property, money, or a title. It can also mean possessing or displaying characteristics received from an ancestor or earlier generation.
- To receive property, money, rights, or a title from a deceased person or predecessor.
- To receive a characteristic, ability, or trait from an ancestor or earlier generation.
- To become the heir to a title, estate, or position.
- To derive or take on something from an earlier source or stage.
"She inherited the farm from her grandfather."
"The two brothers inherited the family business after their father's death."
"She inherited her mother's unusually calm disposition."
Inheriting is one of the few ways to receive a treasure without having to find it first.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inhered come from?
The word comes from Latin inhereditare, meaning “to inherit” or “to take possession of by descent,” formed from in- and heres, “heir.” English borrowed the term in the Middle English period, and its older sense centered on receiving property or a right by succession. Related English words include inheritance, inheritor, hereditary, and heritage, all reflecting the same idea of descent from an earlier generation.
Related word forms
How inhered is actually used
Inherited is the past tense and past participle of inherit. In legal and financial contexts it commonly refers to receiving assets, liabilities, rights, or obligations; in descriptions of people, it usually refers to characteristics passed down through a family.
Easily confused with inhered
To inherit is to receive something from a predecessor, whereas to inhibit is to prevent or restrain something.