come into
2 meanings
receive money or property after someone dies
What does "come into" mean in this sense?
Examples
- He came into a considerable fortune after his grandfather passed away.
- She never expected to come into property, but her aunt left her the farmhouse in her will.
- If they came into that kind of money, they said they'd pay off their debts first.
How to use it
The most common pattern — a person receives money or property through a will or upon a relative's death.
She came into a substantial estate when her uncle passed away.
Used when someone is likely to inherit something in the future, often in news or legal contexts.
He stood to come into a considerable fortune once the will was settled.
Used in conditional sentences to speculate about what someone would do if they inherited money or property.
If she came into that kind of money, she said she'd quit her job immediately.
The present perfect is used to talk about a recent inheritance with a connection to the present situation.
They've come into a large sum of money and are now deciding what to do with it.
Pronouns can replace the object, but only when the context has already made clear what was inherited.
He never talked about the land, but he came into it after his grandmother died.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
'Come into' specifically refers to receiving something through a will or a formal transfer upon someone's death — not just any unexpected gain. If someone finds money by chance or wins it, 'come across' or 'come into' is not the right choice for this sense.
Because 'come into' has other common meanings, always check that your object is something that can be inherited. Objects like 'effect', 'focus', or 'the room' signal a completely different meaning.
Because inheritance is a one-time transfer, not an ongoing process, continuous tenses sound very unnatural with this phrasal verb. Use simple past, present perfect, or future forms instead.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral in register and can be used in both conversation and writing, but it specifically refers to receiving money or property through inheritance — not just any unexpected gain. It is slightly more common in British English contexts involving estates and titles.
start to exist or be in a particular condition
Sense 2: What does "come into sth" mean?
Examples
- The new safety regulations came into effect on the first of January.
- Several other factors came into play when the committee made its final decision.
- The internet truly came into its own as a communication tool in the late 1990s.
How to use it
Used to describe laws, rules, systems, or policies beginning to officially operate — these are the most common and important collocations.
The updated data protection rules came into force across the region last spring.
Used when describing something — often an organization, concept, or entity — starting to exist for the first time.
The international trade agreement came into being after three years of negotiations.
Used when a factor, element, or consideration starts to be relevant or influential in a situation — more conversational than other collocations.
Budget constraints came into play as the project moved into its second phase.
Used to describe something becoming visible, clear, or widely noticed — often in literal or figurative contexts.
The coastal village finally came into view as they rounded the headland.
An idiomatic collocation meaning something reaches its full value or potential, often after a period of underuse or doubt.
Solar technology has really come into its own over the past decade.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
Use 'come into effect' for laws, rules, and policies beginning to officially operate. Use 'take effect' for medicines, treatments, or plans beginning to produce results — the two are not always interchangeable.
'Come into' in this sense describes a transition point, not an ongoing action, so continuous forms sound unnatural. Use simple tenses instead.
'Come into effect / force / being / play' describes something starting to exist or operate. 'Come into' followed by a money or property noun (e.g. 'a fortune', 'an inheritance') means to inherit — these are two completely different meanings.
Usage
This phrasal verb is common in both formal writing and everyday speech, but most of its collocations (especially 'come into force' and 'come into effect') belong to formal, legal, or journalistic contexts. 'Come into play' is more conversational and widely used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can 'come into' be used in the passive, like 'the money was come into'?
No — 'come into' in this sense cannot be used in the passive. It always describes the experience from the recipient's point of view, so the person who inherits is always the subject. If you need to shift focus, use 'inherit' instead, which works naturally in the passive ('the estate was inherited by her nephew').
Does 'come into' always refer to a huge amount, or can it be used for smaller inheritances?
It can technically refer to any inherited amount, but the phrase often carries a connotation of something significant or life-changing. For smaller or more ordinary inheritances, 'inherit' tends to feel more neutral. Adding a modifier helps set expectations — 'she came into a modest sum' works perfectly well.
What kinds of things can someone 'come into'?
The object must be something that can be left in a will or formally transferred after someone's death. Common examples include money, a fortune, property, an estate, land, shares, a trust fund, a legacy, and even a title. Abstract or process-related nouns like 'focus' or 'effect' belong to a different meaning of 'come into' entirely.
Is 'come into' more British or can I use it in American English too?
It's used in both varieties of English, but it is slightly more associated with British English — especially in contexts involving inherited titles, country estates, or aristocratic property. American English speakers might more often reach for 'inherit' in the same situations, but 'come into' is understood and natural in American contexts too.
What's the difference between 'come into a fortune' and 'inherit a fortune'?
'Come into a fortune' is more idiomatic and often implies an element of surprise or a windfall quality — it can carry a slightly dramatic or story-like feeling. 'Inherit a fortune' is more direct and neutral, and is the safer choice in formal or legal writing. In everyday conversation and fiction, both are natural.
Can I use 'come into effect' and 'come into force' interchangeably?
In most contexts, yes — both describe a law or rule beginning to officially apply. However, 'come into force' is slightly more formal and is especially common when talking about legislation. 'Come into effect' is a little broader and can apply to policies, agreements, and changes as well.
Is 'come into effect' British or American English?
'Come into effect' is used in both varieties, but it is more common in British English. American English more frequently uses 'go into effect' to express the same idea. Both are correct and widely understood.
Can I use 'come into' with nouns I choose myself, or do I have to use fixed phrases?
In this sense, 'come into' almost always appears in a fixed set of collocations — like 'come into effect', 'come into being', or 'come into play'. It is not productive in the way that some phrasal verbs are, so it is best to learn the established combinations as complete chunks rather than inventing new ones.
Why can't 'come into' be used in the passive?
Because 'come into' is intransitive in this sense — there is no direct object that can be turned into a subject. The thing entering a new state is always the grammatical subject of the sentence, so there is no passive form to create.
Does 'come into its own' have the same meaning as the other collocations?
It is related but slightly different — 'come into its own' means something reaches its full potential or proves its true value, often after a period when it was overlooked or underused. It is more idiomatic than collocations like 'come into effect', and its meaning cannot be guessed simply from the words alone.
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