heir apparent

noun

plural heirs apparent
1
: an heir whose right to an inheritance is indefeasible except by exclusion under a valid will if he or she survives the ancestor
2
3
: one whose succession especially to a position or role appears certain under existing circumstances

Examples of heir apparent in a Sentence

The coach named her assistant as her heir apparent.
Recent Examples on the Web Her husband, Prince William, the heir apparent to the British throne, has continued to carry out his public duties and was spotted with her over the weekend, but has deflected questions about his wife’s health. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 In it, Middleton’s brother-in-law writes about how he was sacrificed to the British tabloids to distract from stories that might have made his father (King Charles) or his brother (Prince William, heir apparent) look bad. Alex Cranz, The Verge, 11 Mar. 2024 Buffett, 93, named Greg Abel, 61, as his heir apparent in 2021. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024 Blackstone President Jon Gray, Schwarzman’s heir apparent, got $266.4 million in 2023, a decrease from $479.2 million a year earlier. Dawn Lim, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024 Josh McDaniels had once been the heir apparent to Belichick before flopping as a head coach in Denver and Las Vegas. Jimmy Golen, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024 Her first campaign for president in 2020 flamed out before the primaries and she’s been targeted relentlessly by conservatives, who have tried to cast her as a dangerous heir apparent if Biden drops out or falters during a second term. Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024 Does a player separate himself not just as a backup but a potential heir apparent? Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Jan. 2024 The moment the Green Bay Packers selected Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft to be Aaron Rodgers' heir apparent, there were doubters. Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heir apparent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heir apparent was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near heir apparent

Cite this Entry

“Heir apparent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heir%20apparent. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

heir apparent

noun
plural heirs apparent
: an heir whose right to succeed (as to a throne) cannot be taken away if he or she outlives the present holder

Legal Definition

heir apparent

see heir

More from Merriam-Webster on heir apparent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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