Succession vs. Inheritance — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 3, 2023
Succession is the process of following in order or sequence; inheritance is the act of receiving assets from a predecessor. Succession is sequential; inheritance is transactional.
Difference Between Succession and Inheritance
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Succession refers to the sequence in which events, roles, or titles are passed from one entity to another. Inheritance pertains to the assets or properties received from an ancestor after their demise. While succession indicates order and continuity, inheritance involves the transfer of ownership.
In a company, succession planning determines who will take over key roles, whereas inheritance is not a term typically used in corporate contexts. Succession is about preparing for future leadership, while inheritance focuses on the distribution of an estate. Succession requires planning; inheritance involves legal transfer posthumously.
Royal succession is about the transfer of the crown or throne from one monarch to the next, following predefined rules or lineage. Inheritance within a monarchy includes tangible assets like jewels or land passed along with the title. Succession is a matter of protocol; inheritance is a matter of possession.
Ecological succession describes the natural process of changes in species structure in an ecosystem over time. In contrast, there is no ecological concept of inheritance as it applies to personal or legal contexts. Succession in ecology is about development; inheritance is irrelevant to these natural transitions.
In literature, succession might refer to the narrative sequence of events or character development. Inheritance could be a theme or a plot device revolving around the legacy received by characters. Succession is about order and development in storytelling; inheritance often drives the narrative's conflict or resolution.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
The process of following in order or sequence.
The act of receiving assets from a predecessor.
Context of Use
Often used in legal, corporate, and ecological terms.
Mainly used in legal, familial, and genetic contexts.
Legal Implications
Succession laws determine the sequence of authority.
Inheritance laws govern the distribution of assets.
Biological Reference
Does not apply to biology.
Used to describe genetic traits passed to descendants.
Temporal Phase
Indicates a future or ongoing process.
Involves receiving something from the past.
Compare with Definitions
Succession
The coming of one after another in order
The succession of monarchs is recorded in history.
Inheritance
Genetic traits passed from parents to offspring
His blue eyes are an inheritance from his mother.
Succession
A sequence of people or things that follow one another
The company's CEO succession was well-planned.
Inheritance
The legal process of receiving an ancestor's estate
The inheritance was divided equally among the siblings.
Succession
A process of ecological development
The forest showed signs of natural succession.
Inheritance
Receiving property through a will or legal entitlement
The old mansion was his inheritance.
Succession
The act of inheriting a title or position
He was next in succession for the family business.
Inheritance
Assets received from someone who has died
She received a large inheritance from her late aunt.
Succession
A series of related events
The film depicted a rapid succession of events.
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time.
Succession
The act or process of following in order or sequence.
Inheritance
The action of inheriting something
The inheritance of property from a relative.
Succession
A group of people or things arranged or following in order; a sequence
"A succession of one-man stalls offered soft drinks" (Alec Waugh).
Inheritance
Something inherited or to be inherited
Her inheritance included a large estate.
Succession
The sequence in which one person after another succeeds to a title, throne, or position.
Inheritance
Something regarded as a heritage
The cultural inheritance of Rome.
Succession
The right of a person or a line of persons to so succeed.
Inheritance
The process of genetic transmission of characteristics from parent or ancestor to offspring.
Succession
The act or process of succeeding to the rights or duties of another.
Inheritance
A characteristic so inherited.
Succession
The act or process of becoming entitled as a legal beneficiary to the property of a deceased person.
Inheritance
The sum of genetically transmitted characteristics.
Succession
(Ecology) The gradual replacement of one type of ecological community by another in the same area, involving a series of orderly changes, especially in the dominant vegetation, and often resulting in the establishment of a climax community.
Inheritance
The passing of title to an estate upon death.
Succession
An act of following in sequence.
Inheritance
(countable) That which a person is entitled to inherit, by law or testament.
Succession
A sequence of things in order.
Inheritance
The act or mechanism of inheriting; the state of having inherited
The Indo-European languages share various similarities as a result of their inheritance from a common ancestor.
Succession
A passing of royal powers.
Inheritance
The biological attributes passed hereditarily from ancestors to their offspring.
Succession
A group of rocks or strata that succeed one another in chronological order.
Inheritance
The mechanism whereby parts of a superclass are available to instances of its subclass.
Succession
A race or series of descendants.
Inheritance
The act or state of inheriting; as, the inheritance of an estate; the inheritance of mental or physical qualities.
Succession
(agriculture) Rotation, as of crops.
Inheritance
That which is or may be inherited; that which is derived by an heir from an ancestor or other person; a heritage; a possession which passes by descent.
When the man dies, let the inheritanceDescend unto the daughter.
Succession
A right to take possession.
Inheritance
A permanent or valuable possession or blessing, esp. one received by gift or without purchase; a benefaction.
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.
Succession
(historical) In Roman and Scots law, the taking of property by one person in place of another.
Inheritance
Possession; ownership; acquisition.
To you th' inheritance belongs by rightOf brother's praise; to you eke 'longs his love.
Succession
The person who succeeds to rank or office; a successor or heir.
Inheritance
Transmission and reception by animal or plant generation.
Succession
The act of succeeding, or following after; a following of things in order of time or place, or a series of things so following; sequence; as, a succession of good crops; a succession of disasters.
Inheritance
A perpetual or continuing right which a man and his heirs have to an estate; an estate which a man has by descent as heir to another, or which he may transmit to another as his heir; an estate derived from an ancestor to an heir in course of law.
Men are not proprietors of what they have, merely for themselves; their children have a title to part of it which comes to be wholly theirs when death has put an end to their parents' use of it; and this we call inheritance.
Succession
A series of persons or things according to some established rule of precedence; as, a succession of kings, or of bishops; a succession of events in chronology.
He was in the succession to an earldom.
Inheritance
Hereditary succession to a title or an office or property
Succession
An order or series of descendants; lineage; race; descent.
Inheritance
That which is inherited; a title or property or estate that passes by law to the heir on the death of the owner
Succession
The power or right of succeeding to the station or title of a father or other predecessor; the right to enter upon the office, rank, position, etc., held ny another; also, the entrance into the office, station, or rank of a predecessor; specifically, the succeeding, or right of succeeding, to a throne.
You have the voice of the king himself for your succession in Denmark.
The animosity of these factions did not really arise from the dispute about the succession.
Inheritance
(genetics) attributes acquired via biological heredity from the parents
Succession
The right to enter upon the possession of the property of an ancestor, or one near of kin, or one preceding in an established order.
Inheritance
Any attribute or immaterial possession that is inherited from ancestors;
My only inheritance was my mother's blessing
The world's heritage of knowledge
Succession
The person succeeding to rank or office; a successor or heir.
Inheritance
A legacy of cultural traditions
The community's rich cultural inheritance was celebrated annually.
Succession
A following of one thing after another in time;
The doctor saw a sequence of patients
Succession
A group of people or things arranged or following in order;
A succession of stalls offering soft drinks
A succession of failures
Succession
The action of following in order;
He played the trumps in sequence
Succession
(ecology) the gradual and orderly process of change in an ecosystem brought about by the progressive replacement of one community by another until a stable climax is established
Succession
Acquisition of property by descent or by will
Common Curiosities
What does succession mean?
Succession refers to the order in which roles, responsibilities, or positions are passed on.
How is succession planned?
Succession is planned through deliberate processes in organizations or outlined by laws in monarchies.
Is succession always related to family?
No, succession can also occur in businesses, governments, and ecosystems.
Are wills important for inheritance?
Wills are legal documents that specify the distribution of an individual's assets, guiding the inheritance process.
Who receives an inheritance?
Inheritance is received by beneficiaries named in a will or by legal heirs.
Can succession be challenged?
Yes, succession can be contested if protocols or laws are not followed correctly.
What is primary succession?
Primary succession is the colonization of new land by organisms where soil has not yet formed.
What does inheritance mean?
Inheritance means assets or properties received from someone, often a relative, after they've passed away.
What is ecological succession?
Ecological succession is the natural process of change in species structure in an ecosystem over time.
What taxes apply to an inheritance?
Inheritance tax laws vary by jurisdiction and sometimes depend on the value of the assets.
How does inheritance work if there is no will?
If there is no will, inheritance follows the state's intestacy laws.
Does succession affect biodiversity?
Yes, succession can significantly affect biodiversity within ecosystems over time.
Can inheritance include debt?
Yes, sometimes inheritance can include the deceased's outstanding debts.
What is a succession plan in business?
It's a strategy that identifies and develops future leaders of a company.
Can inheritance be donated?
Yes, beneficiaries can choose to donate their inheritance to others or to charity.
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Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
