Inheritance: meaning, definitions and examples

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inheritance

[ ɪnˈhɛrɪtəns ]

^{Context #1}

family

The passing on of property, titles, debts, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. Inheritance can also refer to genetic traits passed down from parents to offspring.

Synonyms

bequest, legacy, patrimony

Examples of usage

Her inheritance included a large estate and a valuable art collection.
He inherited his mother's blue eyes, a physical trait that runs in the family.
The inheritance laws vary from country to country.
Receiving an inheritance can sometimes lead to family disputes.
In some cultures, inheritance is based on primogeniture, where the eldest son inherits everything.

^{Context #2}

programming

In object-oriented programming, inheritance is a mechanism by which a new class inherits attributes and methods from an existing class. This promotes code reusability and allows for the creation of hierarchical relationships between classes.

Synonyms

extension, subclassing

Examples of usage

The child class inherits the properties and methods of the parent class.
Using inheritance, developers can create specialized classes that build upon existing functionality.
Inheritance helps reduce code duplication and improves the maintainability of software.
Understanding inheritance is key to mastering object-oriented programming.
Inheritance is a fundamental concept in many programming languages such as Java and Python.

Translations

Translations of the word "inheritance" in other languages:

🇵🇹 herança

🇮🇳 विरासत

🇩🇪 Erbschaft

🇮🇩 warisan

🇺🇦 спадщина

🇵🇱 dziedzictwo

🇯🇵 相続

🇫🇷 héritage

🇪🇸 herencia

🇹🇷 miras

🇰🇷 상속

🇸🇦 إرث

🇨🇿 dědictví

🇸🇰 dedičstvo

🇨🇳 继承

🇸🇮 dedovanje

🇮🇸 arfi

🇰🇿 мұрагерлік

🇬🇪 მემკვიდრეობა

🇦🇿 irs

🇲🇽 herencia

Word origin

The word 'inheritance' originated from the Latin word 'inheritantia', meaning 'a possession, legacy'. The concept of inheritance has long been a fundamental part of human societies, with traditions of passing down wealth, property, and titles dating back centuries. Inheritance laws have evolved over time to regulate the distribution of assets after an individual's death, ensuring fairness and legality in the transfer of property. In the context of programming, the term 'inheritance' was adopted to describe the ability of a new class to inherit characteristics from an existing class, reflecting the hierarchical nature of object-oriented programming.