heir apparent

noun, plural heirs apparent.
1.
an heir whose right is indefeasible, provided he or she survives the ancestor.
2.
a person whose succession to a position appears certain:
His popularity makes him the chief's heir apparent.
Origin
1325-75; Middle English
Related forms
heir apparency, noun
Examples from the web for heir apparent
  • Perhaps the committee decided to cast a wider net, or maybe the heir apparent withdrew, and the university was in panic mode.
  • But this unprecedented showdown with his frustrated heir apparent has shaken his control.
British Dictionary definitions for heir apparent

heir apparent

noun (pl) heirs apparent
1.
(property law) a person whose right to succeed to certain property cannot be defeated, provided such person survives his ancestor Compare heir presumptive