What does "heritage" mean?
An inheritance; property that may be inherited.
Heritage
/ˈhɛɹ.ɪ.tɪd͡ʒ/ name, noun
name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An inheritance; property that may be inherited.
- Grammar: heritage is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: allele, allelomorph, altmann theory, ancestries.
- Useful contrasts: modernity, novelty, purchased property.
- Usage evidence: We must all take care to preserve our national heritage.
How to use "heritage"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "heritage" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "heritage" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "heritage" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "heritage" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "heritage" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "allele" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "heritage", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An inheritance; property that may be inherited. countable, uncountable
"Now unſpeakable happy are all thoſe that have ſuch an heritage: can we thinke they will part with it? No verily, […] they will not part with ſuch an inheritance as Chriſt is, rich, fat, alwayes fruitfull, and never decaying."
- 2 hereditary succession to a title or an office or property wordnet
- 3 A tradition; a practice or set of values that is passed down from preceding generations through families or through institutional memory. countable, uncountable
"In fact it was a multifarious agglomerate of many little countries, gathered by marriage, heritage and luck, in the course of centuries, and now united in the hand of this Duke Wilhelm."
- 4 any attribute or immaterial possession that is inherited from ancestors wordnet
- 5 A birthright; the status acquired by birth, especially of but not exclusive to the firstborn. countable, uncountable
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 practices that are handed down from the past by tradition wordnet
- 7 Having a certain background, such as growing up with a second language. attributive, countable, uncountable
"a heritage speaker; a heritage language"
- 8 that which is inherited; a title or property or estate that passes by law to the heir on the death of the owner wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"We must all take care to preserve our national heritage."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "heritage"?
Common synonyms include: allele, allelomorph, altmann theory, ancestries, ancestry, ancient tradition.
How do you use "heritage" in a sentence?
We must all take care to preserve our national heritage.
How do you pronounce "heritage"?
Pronounced /ˈhɛɹ.ɪ.tɪd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
From Middle English heritage, from Old French eritage, heritage (modern French héritage), ultimately derived (through suffixation) from Latin hērēs. By surface analysis, herit + -age.