inheritance

/ɪnˈherɪtəns/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈherɪtəns/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈher-ə-tən(t)s -ˈhe-rə-/ (ame, mw)

inheritance — noun

  • inheritancesingular
  • inheritancesplural

1. Money, property, or other valuable items that a person receives when a relative

1.名詞B1
釋義

Money, property, or other valuable items that a person receives when a relative or friend dies and leaves those things to them.

例句

When Élise's aunt passed away, she received a large inheritance in cash and jewelry.

receive + an inheritance — common verb collocation

The old farmhouse was the only inheritance left to Caleb by his grandfather.

同義詞
  • legacy

    Often carries emotional weight and suggests something valuable passed on, such as reputation or tradition, not just property.

  • bequest

    Formal or legal term for something specifically named in a will; slightly narrower in scope.

  • estate

    Refers to everything a person owns at death, not what is received; broader than inheritance.

文法句型

inheritance + of + [property]

leave + someone + an inheritance

receive + an inheritance

用法筆記

Often used in the context of family law, wills, and estate planning. Can be countable (an inheritance) when referring to a specific amount or item left to someone, or uncountable when discussing the general concept.

常見錯誤

❌I received an inherit from my uncle.
✅I received an inheritance from my uncle.
💡'inherit' is a verb; 'inheritance' is the noun form.
❌The inheritance was given to me while my grandmother was still alive.
✅The inheritance was left to me after my grandmother passed away.
💡Inheritance is received after death, not as a gift from a living person.

2. A physical feature, ability, or tendency that a child receives from a parent thr

2.名詞B2
釋義

A physical feature, ability, or tendency that a child receives from a parent through the natural process of genes being passed on, or the process itself.

例句

Adaeze's dark curly hair is a genetic inheritance from her Nigerian mother.

genetic + inheritance — common collocation in biology

Scientists have been studying the inheritance of eye colour in families for over a century.

同義詞
  • genetic makeup

    Refers to the complete set of inherited traits, not one individual feature.

  • heredity

    The abstract biological process of passing traits; more formal and scientific than inheritance.

  • genes

    The physical units of inheritance; often used in plural to refer to what causes a trait.

文法句型

genetic + inheritance

inheritance + from + [parent/family]

inheritance + of + [trait]

用法筆記

In formal science writing, this sense often appears in phrases like 'the inheritance of [trait]' or 'patterns of inheritance'. In everyday conversation, speakers are more likely to use the verb 'inherit' than the noun 'inheritance' for this meaning.

常見錯誤

❌Her blue eyes are an inheritance from mother nature.
✅Her blue eyes are a genetic inheritance from her mother.
💡Use 'genetic' to clarify the biological sense, and specify the parent rather than an abstract source.
❌The inheritance of language happens through education.
✅The inheritance of eye colour follows predictable patterns in families.
💡For the biological sense, the trait must be genetically passed, not learned.