Inherit

/ɪnˈhɛɹɪt/

Synonyms for "inherit" (25 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (5)

Verb(5 words)

Strong matches (8)

Verb(3 words)
come bycome intocome onensuefollow

Related words (12)

Verb(7 words)
gain traitsobtainobtain traitsreceivesucceedsucceedingtake on
Noun(1 words)

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: acceding, acquire, acquire traits, adopt, assume.
  • Sentence evidence is available for inherit, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
  • Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, opengloss.

Synonym selection checklist

  • Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
  • Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
  • Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "inherit".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "inherit"

Keep "inherit" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "inherit" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "inherit", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "inherit" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

5 relation types

More general

11 entries

More specific

6 entries
adopt customcarry on traditioninherit eye colorinherit heightreceive bequestreceive estate

Collocations

6 entries
inherit a fortuneinherit a traditioninherit frominherit propertyinherit the estateinherit wealth

Inflections

3 entries

Derivations

3 entries

Translations

51 translations across 43 languages.

Powered by Wiktionary

Ancient Greek

1 entries
  • κληρονομέω verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Arabic

1 entries
  • وَرَثَ verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Armenian

1 entries
  • ժառանգել verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Asturian

1 entries
  • heredar verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Bulgarian

1 entries
  • наследявам verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Catalan

1 entries
  • heretar verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Chinese

2 entries
  • 繼承 /继承 verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)
  • 继承 verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Czech

3 entries
  • dědit verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)
  • podědit verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)
  • zdědit verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Dutch

1 entries
  • erven verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

East Central German

1 entries
  • aarm verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Egyptian

1 entries
  • E9:a-F44 verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Esperanto

1 entries
  • heredi verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Finnish

1 entries
  • periä verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

French

1 entries
  • hériter verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Galician

1 entries
  • herdar verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

German

1 entries
  • erben verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Greek

1 entries
  • κληρονομώ verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Hebrew

1 entries
  • יָרַשׁ verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Hungarian

1 entries
  • örököl verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Icelandic

1 entries
  • erfa verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Irish

1 entries
  • faigh le hoidhreacht verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Italian

1 entries
  • ereditare verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Japanese

1 entries
  • 受継ぐ verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Latin

1 entries
  • heredito verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Malay

1 entries
  • mewarisi verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Norwegian

1 entries
  • arve verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Occitan

1 entries
  • eiretar verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Old English

1 entries
  • ierfan verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Oromo

1 entries
  • dhaaluu verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Polish

2 entries
  • dziedziczyć verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)
  • odziedziczyć verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Portuguese

1 entries
  • herdar verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Romanian

1 entries
  • moșteni verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Russian

2 entries
  • насле́довать verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)
  • унасле́довать verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Slovak

2 entries
  • dediť verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)
  • zdediť verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Slovene

2 entries
  • dedovati verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)
  • podedovati verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Spanish

1 entries
  • heredar verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Swahili

1 entries
  • -rithi verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Swedish

1 entries
  • ärva verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Ukrainian

2 entries
  • успадко́вувати verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)
  • успадкува́ти verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Vietnamese

1 entries
  • thừa kế verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Volapük

1 entries
  • gerön verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Walloon

1 entries
  • eriter verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Welsh

1 entries
  • etifeddu verb (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.)

Sample sentences

19 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

In the case of language, however, it is only the ability to talk and understand that we inherit genetically; the particular language or languages that we speak are passed on to us not by genetic transmission but by cultural transmission.

Source: tatoeba (53627)

All of these abilities are passed on to us by genetic transmission; we receive them by way of the genes that we inherit from our parents.

Source: tatoeba (240179)

I will inherit his estate.

Source: tatoeba (260628)

A son who could not learn to paddle his own canoe does not deserve to inherit his father's fortune.

Source: tatoeba (264881)

Showing 4 of 19 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "inherit"?

Closest matches include acceding, acquire, acquire traits, adopt, assume.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "inherit"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "inherit"