hereditary

adjective

he·​red·​i·​tary hə-ˈre-də-ˌter-ē How to pronounce hereditary (audio)
1
a
biology : genetically transmitted or transmittable from parent to offspring
The disease is hereditary.
b
: characteristic of or fostered by one's predecessors
a hereditary feud
2
a
: received or passing by inheritance or required to pass by inheritance or by reason of birth
hereditary wealth
b
: having title (see title entry 1 sense 4a) or possession through inheritance or by reason of birth
hereditary nobility
3
: of a kind established by tradition
hereditary enemies
4
: of or relating to inheritance or heredity
unless he had the hereditary dispositions which he has, he would not behave the way he doesArthur Pap
hereditarily adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for hereditary

innate, inborn, inbred, congenital, hereditary mean not acquired after birth.

innate applies to qualities or characteristics that are part of one's inner essential nature.

an innate sense of fair play

inborn suggests a quality or tendency either actually present at birth or so marked and deep-seated as to seem so.

her inborn love of nature

inbred suggests something either acquired from parents by heredity or so deeply rooted and ingrained as to seem acquired in that way.

inbred political loyalties

congenital and hereditary refer to what is acquired before or at birth, the former to things acquired during fetal development and the latter to things transmitted from one's ancestors.

a congenital heart murmur
eye color is hereditary

Examples of hereditary in a Sentence

He suffers from a rare hereditary condition. eye and hair color are hereditary
Recent Examples on the Web In the film, Sonal, a teacher, grapples with a hereditary disease, mirroring her mother’s untimely demise. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 While the lights of Florentine culture dimmed, Lorenzo’s heirs were installed as hereditary dukes of a city whose long republican experiment had finally failed. Claudia Roth Pierpont, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 The leukemia is the result of a genetic mutation, said his physician, Dr. Ron Paquette at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and not hereditary. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024 In 2018, the case was submitted for genetic genealogy testing to identify a match through hereditary DNA analysis, the release says. Michael Braithwaite, The Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2024 Ruth’s son and Craig’s younger brother Jim, who also had hereditary sight issues, died of saurcoma around 2020. Graham Womack, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2024 There’s obviously a hereditary aspect of addiction. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2024 According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Dupuytren's contracture is believed to be hereditary with an exact cause unknown. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2024 Some patients who need frequent transfusions to treat hereditary diseases such as sickle cell are more likely to build antibodies, and such patients are more likely to need a more precise blood match, Fry said. Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hereditary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hereditarie, borrowed from Latin hērēditārius "of inheritance, passed by means of inheritance," from hērēdit- (probably extracted from hērēditāt-, hērēditās "succession to an heir, inheritance," taken as hērēdit- + -āt-, -ās) + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at heredity

Note: See note at heritage.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hereditary was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near hereditary

Cite this Entry

“Hereditary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hereditary. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hereditary

adjective
he·​red·​i·​tary hə-ˈred-ə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce hereditary (audio)
1
: genetically passed or capable of being passed from parent to offspring
hereditary traits
2
a
: received or passing by inheritance
hereditary rank
b
: having title or possession through inheritance
hereditary ruler
3
: of or relating to inheritance or heredity

Medical Definition

hereditary

adjective
he·​red·​i·​tary hə-ˈred-ə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce hereditary (audio)
1
: genetically transmitted or transmittable from parent to offspring compare acquired sense 1, congenital sense 2, familial
2
: of or relating to inheritance or heredity
hereditarily adverb

Legal Definition

hereditary

adjective
he·​red·​i·​tary hə-ˈre-də-ˌter-ē How to pronounce hereditary (audio)
1
: received or passing by inheritance or required to pass by inheritance
hereditary shares
2
: having ownership or possession through inheritance
Etymology

Latin hereditarius, from hereditas inheritance, from hered-, heres heir

More from Merriam-Webster on hereditary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!