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heritage

HER-ih-tij /ˈherɪtɪdʒ/

nounB2IELTSSAT

generalacademic

Property, traditions, or physical sites that are or may be inherited; a nation's historic buildings and culture.

Heritage refers to the collective 'inheritance' of a group, encompassing both physical monuments and intangible traditions.

The story behind the word. The word comes from the Old French 'eritage', which is related to the word 'heir'. It originally meant the land or property that an heir would receive, but it expanded to mean the entire cultural 'property' of a people.

Word relationships

legacy: A legacy is something handed down from the past, but heritage specifically emphasizes the collective and historical aspect.
inheritance: Inheritance usually refers to personal property or money left in a will.

innovation: Innovation focuses on creating the new, while heritage focuses on preserving the old.

Commonly confused with

ancestry: Ancestry refers to your family line; heritage refers to the culture and sites of your people.

Word family

heritable (adjective): Capable of being inherited.
inherit (verb): To receive from a predecessor.

Collocations

cultural heritage
world heritage
architectural heritage
rich heritage

Example sentences

"The city's architectural heritage is being threatened by the rapid development of modern skyscrapers." Discussing cultural preservation.
"Our cultural heritage is the bridge between our past and our future." A real citation about world history.

Memory hook

Heritage is what you 'inherit' from the 'age' before you. Heritage = History Inherited.

When not to use

Do not use 'heritage' for a personal inheritance of money; use 'inheritance' instead.

Fun facts

UNESCO's World Heritage Sites list includes over 1,100 locations deemed to have 'outstanding universal value' to humanity.