birthright

English

Etymology

From birth +‎ right.

Pronunciation

Noun

birthright (plural birthrights)

  1. Something a person is entitled to due to the circumstances of their birth, such as an inheritance or citizenship.
    • 1922, Eleanour Sinclair Rohde, The Old English Herbals, London: Longmans, Green and Co., page 13:
      Not only has suburban life separated the great concentrated masses of our people from their birthright of meadows, fields and woods; of Nature, in her untamed splendour and mystery, most of them have never had so much as a momentary glimpse.
    • 1973, “California Saga (The Beaks Of Eagles)”, in Robinson Jeffers (lyrics), Holland, performed by The Beach Boys:
      Though it's the birthright of man to unify and live his life as one / A whisper of the word will let you soar with your soul
    • 2017 July 16, Brandon Nowalk, “Chickens and dragons come home to roost on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club[1]:
      But a practically solo sequence of Dany walking through her old empty house without saying anything for minutes on end is, let’s say, a lot to ask of Emilia Clarke. She’s back at Dragonstone to reclaim her birthright, the seven or so kingdoms.

Derived terms

Translations