heir apparent

noun

plural heirs apparent

: an heir whose right to an inheritance is indefeasible except by exclusion under a valid will if he or she survives the ancestor

: heir presumptive

: 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

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The Sharks do not have an obvious heir apparent as a right-shot top pair defenseman. —

Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2025 The heir apparent was his older brother Bassel—a military commander and an accomplished horseman whom the regime’s loyalists sometimes referred to as the Golden Knight. —

Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025 Now, Beck is the heir apparent to Miami’s starting quarterback job and has the chance to do the same for his draft stock. —

Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2025 At the same time, neither heir apparent has emerged as looking anywhere near ready to take over the position. —

Rahat Huq, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for heir apparent