privilege or right to which a person is entitled by birth
Search Dictionary
Birthright Definition from Language, Idioms & Slang Dictionaries & Glossaries
(n.)
Any right, privilege, or possession to which a person is entitled by birth, such as an estate descendible by law to an heir, or civil liberty under a free constitution; esp. the rights or inheritance of the first born.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter. AboutAny right, privilege, or possession to which a person is entitled by birth, such as an estate descendible by law to an heir, or civil liberty under a free constitution; esp. the rights or inheritance of the first born.
birthright
\birth"right`\ (&?;), n. any right, privilege, or possession to which a person is entitled by birth, such as an estate descendible by law to an heir, or civil liberty under a free constitution; esp. the rights or inheritance of the first born. lest there be any profane person, as esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. xii. 16.
A privilege or possession into which one is born
Noun
1. a right or privilege that you are entitled to at birth; "free public education is the birthright of every American child"
(hypernym) inheritance, heritage
2. an inheritance coming by right of birth (especially by primogeniture)
(synonym) patrimony
(hypernym) inheritance, heritage
3. personal characteristics that are inherited at birth
(hypernym) inheritance, heritage
Birthright Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries
Birthright is a term that refers to something that is acquired or inherited at birth. It may further refer to:
Ancient and modern Law
- primogeniture, rights of the firstborn
- birthright citizenship
| See more at Wikipedia.org... |
Birthright Definition from Religion & Spirituality Dictionaries & Glossaries
(1.) This word denotes the special privileges and advantages belonging to the first-born son among the Jews. He became the priest of the family. Thus Reuben was the first-born of the patriarchs, and so the priesthood of the tribes belonged to him. That honour was, however, transferred by God from Reuben to Levi (Num. 3:12, 13; 8:18). (2.) The first-born son had allotted to him also a double portion of the paternal inheritance (Deut. 21:15-17). Reuben was, because of his undutiful conduct, deprived of his birth-right (Gen. 49:4; 1 Chr. 5:1). Esau transferred his birth-right to Jacob (Gen. 25:33). (3.) The first-born inherited the judicial authority of his father, whatever it might be (2 Chr. 21:3). By divine appointment, however, David excluded Adonijah in favour of Solomon. (4.) The Jews attached a sacred importance to the rank of "first-born" and "first-begotten" as applied to the Messiah (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:18; Heb. 1:4-6). As first-born he has an inheritance superior to his brethren, and is the alone true priest.
the advantages accruing to the eldest son. These were not definitely fixed in patriarchal times. Great respect was paid to him in the household, and, as the family widened into a tribe, this grew into a sustained authority, undefined save by custom, in all matters of common interest. Thus the "princes" of the congregation had probably rights of primogeniture. (Numbers 7:2; 21:18; 25:14) (Gradually the rights of the eldest son came to be more definite: (1) The functions of the priesthood in the family with the paternal blessing. (2) A "double portion" of the paternal property was allotted by the Mosaic law. (21:16-17) (3) The eldest son succeeded to the official authority of the father. The first-born of the king was his successor by law. (2 Chronicles 21:3) In all these Jesus was the first-born of the father.
