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
That made Hafez’s eldest son, Bassel, the heir apparent.
—
Sefa Secen / Made By History, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024
The Sabres appear to be grooming Seth Appert to be Ruff’s heir apparent one day.
—Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024
On a dime, Carmine — who’d just started to see Sofia as his true heir apparent, rather than his ineffectual son, Alberto (Michael Zegen) — turns on his daughter.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 14 Oct. 2024
With Thompson having spent the majority of his impressive rookie campaign playing as a wing (and thriving), the thinking became that Sheppard was the new heir apparent at the position.
—Rahat Huq, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heir apparent 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sefa Secen / Made By History, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024
The Sabres appear to be grooming Seth Appert to be Ruff’s heir apparent one day.
—Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024
On a dime, Carmine — who’d just started to see Sofia as his true heir apparent, rather than his ineffectual son, Alberto (Michael Zegen) — turns on his daughter.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 14 Oct. 2024
With Thompson having spent the majority of his impressive rookie campaign playing as a wing (and thriving), the thinking became that Sheppard was the new heir apparent at the position.
—Rahat Huq, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heir apparent
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 8 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share