heir
An heir is a person who inherits wealth, power, or a position following another person’s death or decision to give up power:
- Prince William is an heir to Queen Elizabeth. When she dies, he will probably become the King of England.
- When the old owner of the company died, one his heirs took over the management of the business.
- Believing he would one day inherit a lot of money as an heir to a vast fortune , Tony quit college and moved to California to become a surfer.
- An heir to the throne was not apparent. This lead to serious conflict within the family.
- An heiress to a rich European manufacturer walked into the jewelry store and purchased merchandise worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. (When the an heir is female, we use the word “heiress; however; heir can be applied to both men and women.)