Inheritance is what you receive from someone who has died, usually property, money, or possessions they wanted you to have. When a grandmother passes away and leaves her house to her children, they receive it as an inheritance. Someone might inherit a collection of old books, a family farm, or savings their parents set aside for them.

The word also describes traits or characteristics passed down from parents to children through genes. You might inherit your father's curly hair, your mother's eye color, or your grandfather's athletic ability. Scientists study genetic inheritance to understand how these traits move through families across generations.

In programming, inheritance means one piece of code takes on the properties of another, like how a “sports car” in a video game might inherit basic features from a general “car” category while adding its own special traits.

Beyond physical things, people also talk about inheriting traditions, responsibilities, or problems. A new president inherits the challenges left by the previous one. When you join a team mid-season, you might inherit their winning streak or their struggles. An inheritance can be a gift that improves your life, or sometimes a burden you must deal with, depending on what gets passed down.