inherit

In everyday use, to inherit means to receive something from someone who has died or from predecessors. The term can refer to property or money passed by will or law, as well as to traits or characteristics passed from parents to offspring.

In law, inheritance concerns the transfer of an estate after death. If a person dies with a valid will, assets go to named beneficiaries (testate). If there is no will, laws of intestate succession determine heirs. An executor or administrator oversees probate and distribution, and terms such as heirs, legacies, and bequests describe different forms of transfer.

In biology, inheritance describes the transmission of genetic information from parents to offspring. Genes on chromosomes influence inherited traits; Mendelian patterns describe dominant and recessive alleles, while many traits show more complex inheritance, including polygenic and non-Mendelian patterns.

In computing, inheritance is a mechanism in object-oriented programming by which a subclass derives from a superclass, acquiring its methods and fields. It enables code reuse and polymorphism but can introduce design complexity. Languages vary in support for single or multiple inheritance.

Etymology: the word derives from Latin and Old French terms relating to heirs. The common thread across uses is transmission by descent or specification.