pretermitted heir legal definition

An heir who was born after a decedentÂ’s will was drafted, but before the death of same. Because that heir was not alive for and is as a result unmentioned by the will, she generally would take nothing under the will; however, most states have laws allowing a pretermitted heir of the decedent to take whatever a childÂ’s share would have been had the decedent died intestate.