Definition of "patrimony" [pat•ri•mo•ny]

• An inheritance from a father or other ancestor. (noun)
• An inheritance or legacy; heritage. (noun)
• An endowment or estate belonging to an institution, especially a church. (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.

• "To tell these young readers that such poets are part of their "patrimony" is only another way of saying they should read poetry because it's good for them, a strategy that will only make it certain they'll never want to read a line of verse ever again."
• "Nothing less than Mexico's cultural patrimony is at stake."
• "The wording of Mary's patent letters indicates that the proper context for assessing the origin and significance of her patrimony is in the unique political situation taking shape in the days immediately following Henry VIII's death."