inherited

/ɪnˈhɛr.ɪ.tɪd/

verb

  1. Received money, property, or possessions from someone who has died, usually through a will.

    B1

    transitive; inherit something from someoneformal

    • "She inherited her grandmother's house."B1
    • "He inherited a large sum of money from his uncle."B2

  2. Received a characteristic, condition, or problem from a parent or earlier generation.

    B2

    transitive; inherit something from someoneformal

    • "She inherited her mother's blue eyes."B1
    • "The child inherited a rare genetic disorder from both parents."B2

adjective

  1. Received from a previous owner, generation, or period rather than created or obtained directly.

    B2

    formal

    • "The inherited furniture was very old."B1
    • "He has an inherited talent for music."B1
    • "The new government faced serious inherited problems."B2

Common mistakes

  • inherit→inherited

    Remember to use the past tense 'inherited' when referring to something received in the past.

Collocations

inherited wealthinherited propertyinherited diseaseinherited characteristicinherited problem

Word family

inheritinheritanceinheritor