1. (n.) The state of being the firstborn of the same parents; seniority by birth among children of the same family.

2. (n.) The exclusive right of inheritance which belongs to the eldest son. Thus in England the right of inheriting the estate of the father belongs to the eldest son, and in the royal family the eldest son of the sovereign is entitled to the throne by primogeniture. In exceptional cases, among the female children, the crown descends by right of primogeniture to the eldest daughter only and her issue.

aboriginality age ancien regime ancientness antiquity atavism bequeathal bequest birthright borough-English cobwebs of antiquity coheirship coparcenary deanship dust of ages eld elderliness eldership entail gavelkind great age heirloom heirship hereditament heritable heritage heritance hoary age hoary eld incorporeal hereditament inheritance inveteracy law of succession legacy line of succession mode of succession old age old order old style oldness patrimony postremogeniture primitiveness primordialism primordiality reversion senility seniority succession ultimogeniture venerableness