Definition of "inheritance tax" []

• A tax imposed on the privilege of receiving property by inheritance or legal succession and assessed on the value of the property received. Also called death tax. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "On death and taxes: In examining dysphemisms, I wrote: When did the inheritance tax (a pro-taxing term) become the estate tax (a neutral term)?"
• "Alexi, driven by the suddenly self-evident notion that a man must pass something on to his son, unmediated by inheritance tax if possible, began to look around for good investments."
• "When did the inheritance tax (a pro-taxing term) become the estate tax (a neutral term)?"