heiress

/'eəris/

Thân thiện

A young heiress receives a large, ornate key from her family's lawyer.

Definition

Noun: A woman or girl who is legally entitled to inherit property, rank, or a title upon the death of an ancestor, especially when the inheritance is substantial.

Usage

The word "heiress" is used specifically to denote a female heir. It often carries connotations of wealth, privilege, and social status. It is typically used in legal, social, and journalistic contexts.

Examples

• The young heiress inherited the family's vast estate and business empire.
• She was the sole heiress to her grandfather's fortune.
• Newspapers often followed the glamorous life of the oil heiress.

Advanced Usage

• "An heiress apparent": Refers to a female heir whose right to inherit is secure and cannot be displaced by the birth of another heir. (e.g., )
• The term can be used metaphorically to describe a woman who is the principal beneficiary or successor to a non-material legacy, such as a tradition or intellectual movement. (e.g., )

Variants and Related Words

• Heir (noun): A person, male or female, legally entitled to inherit. This is the gender-neutral term.
• Inheritrix (noun): A formal, chiefly legal, synonym for heiress. (Archaic)
• Inheritress (noun): Another, less common, synonym for heiress.

Synonyms

• Inheritor (female)
• Beneficiary (in the context of a will or estate)
• Successor (in the context of a title or position)

Antonyms

• Testator (a person who makes a will)
• Predecessor (a person who held a position before the current holder)

Notes

• The male equivalent is simply "heir." The suffix "-ess" is used to specify the female gender.
• In modern usage, the gender-neutral term "heir" is increasingly preferred unless specifying gender is relevant to the context.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a female heir

Từ đồng nghĩa

• inheritress
• inheritrix