Hereditary

/həˈɹɛdɪt(ə)ɹi/ · adjective

Meaning

Passed on as an inheritance, by last will or intestate..

Definitions by Sense

1. Passed on as an inheritance, by last will or intestate.
2. Of a title, honor or right: legally granted to somebody's descendant after that person's death.
3. Of a person: holding a legally hereditary title or rank.
4. Of a disease or trait: passed from a parent to offspring in the genes.
5. (mathematics) Of a ring: such that all submodules of projective modules over the ring are also projective.
6. (graph theory) Of a property of graphs: such that if G has the property, so must every induced subgraph of G.
7. A hereditary ruler; a hereditary peer in the House of Lords.

Example Sentences

Duke is a hereditary title which was created in Norman times.

hereditary rulers

Haemophilia is hereditary in his family.

Xanthuria is an hereditary disorder in which there is an absence of the enzyme xanthine oxidase which interferes with the metabolic breakdown of purines, leading to an increased excretion of xanthine in the urine and to formation of stones.

Synonyms for hereditary

Antonyms for hereditary

Related Words

Word Forms

• more hereditary
• most hereditary
• hereditaries

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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