Disinherit
/ˌdɪs.ɪnˈher.ɪt/noun
To officially prevent someone from receiving an inheritance, especially by law or a will.
Did you know?The word is built from Latin roots for ‘apart’ + ‘heir,’ so it began as a legal severing of bloodline and property, not just a family insult.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
dis- + heres
“‘apart’ + ‘heir’”
Old French
Old French
desheriter
“to deprive of an inheritance”
Middle English
English
disheriten
“to disinherit”
15th Century
English
disinherit
“to deprive a person of inheritance by legal act”
Modern English
English
disinherit
“to exclude someone from inheriting property or title”