hereditary Hear it!

hereditary definition

he·redi·tary (hə red′i ter′ē)

adjective

    1. of, or passed down by, inheritance from an ancestor to a legal heir; ancestral
    2. having title, right, etc. by inheritance
  2. of, or passed down by, heredity; designating or of a characteristic transmitted genetically from generation to generation
  3. being such because of attitudes, beliefs, etc. passed down through generations hereditary allies

Etymology: L hereditarius < hereditas: see heredity

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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