heir apparent: Meaning and Definition of

heir' appar'ent

Pronunciation: [key]
— pl. 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.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.