heritage

noun

her·​i·​tage ˈher-ə-tij How to pronounce heritage (audio)
ˈhe-rə-
1
: property that descends to an heir
2
a
: something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor : legacy, inheritance
proud of her Chinese heritage
a rich heritage of folklore
The battlefields are part of our heritage and should be preserved.
b
: tradition
the party's heritage of secularism
3
: something possessed as a result of one's natural situation or birth : birthright
the heritage of natural freedom was long since cast awayV. L. Parrington

Examples of heritage in a Sentence

hospitality is a cherished Southern heritage this farm is my heritage from my father, as it was for him from his father
Recent Examples on the Web Photos from the 1970s and '80s showed many of the women dressed in saris, a traditional Indian dress, reflecting their immigrant heritage. Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024 Yet its autobiographical elements are keenly felt, as Campillo grapples intelligently not just with the blind spots of his personal past, but those of his national heritage. Guy Lodge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 The restaurant has been in the works for quite some time, enticing eager fans of owner Ricky Ortiz’ food, which showcases his Mexican heritage. Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024 On the trail of ‘Ramona’ in California Carewe was especially skilled at leveraging his Chickasaw heritage to promote his projects. Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The report also found that there is a greater public awareness of cultural property that belonged to Jewish communities before World War II, but that in many instances, those pieces remain in private hands rather than being part of the collective heritage of the Jewish people. Carlie Porterfield, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 Prophet has been in the United States for over 50 years, but his heritage run deep. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Now, new developments like Mule Alley (an entertainment hub with restaurants, shops, heritage brands, shops, and a 4-star hotel) intermingle with the same timeworn cowboy spirit that put this place on the map in the 1800s. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Based in India, Fatehi was born in Toronto, Canada to a family of Moroccan heritage. Thania Garcia, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English heritage, eritage, borrowed from Anglo-French, from heriter "to inherit, make an heir" (going back to Late Latin hērēditāre "to leave as an inheritance, inherit, make an heir," from Latin hērēd-, hērēs heir entry 1 + -itāre, verb suffix) + -age -age

Note: The Latin verb suffix -itāre normally has repetitive or frequentative value (cf. hesitate, meditate, palpitate), not factitive or causative value, so in this instance it may be of distinct origin. A possible model is the adjective hērēditārius (see hereditary), in the formation of which a stem hērēdit- appears to have been extracted from the noun hērēditāt-, hērēditās "succession to an heir, inheritance," by construing the suffix as -āt-, -ās (or, alternatively, *hērēditātārius was shortened by haplology to hērēditārius).

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heritage was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near heritage

Cite this Entry

“Heritage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heritage. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

heritage

noun
her·​i·​tage ˈher-ət-ij How to pronounce heritage (audio)
1
: property that is handed down to an heir
2
: something acquired from the past
a rich heritage of folklore

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