heirless Definition

heir
noun

1. Someone who by law receives or is entitled to receive wealth, a title, etc when the previous owner or holder dies.

Thesaurus: beneficiary, inheritor, heiress, legatee.
2. Someone who is successor to a position, eg leadership, or who continues a convention or tradition.

Derivative: heirless
adj

Idiom: fall heir to something

To inherit it.

Etymology: 13c: from Latin heres.