hereditary
- adjective
- /həˈrɛdɪˌtɛri/
- Formal
- She is the next hereditary heir to the throne.
- hereditary monarchy
- hereditary chiefs
- hereditary aristocracy
But Alexander was a hereditary monarch, right?
- But Alexander was a hereditary monarch, right?
- And this title tended to be hereditary.
- Essentially, we're going to have, when I say people usurp or arrogate or make hereditary their possessions, I'm talking about something that sounds abstract.
- Judges ships seem to be hereditary, and they worked closely with the Abbasid caliphs in Baghdad and in surrounding lands.
Examples
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Although rights to use cleared lands were hereditary, the forest at large was considered a common resource.
Academic text (1999) -
But Alexander was a hereditary monarch, right?
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It's hereditary. meaning it's passed from parent to child.
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Well right now America and Europe no longer have a hereditary landlord class.
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Property ownership in the form of a hereditary landlord class.
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- Henry VII had a very difficult hereditary claim to the throne, of which he was well aware.
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Europeans have also had a long tradition of regarding noble and base qualities as hereditary.
Academic text (1995) -
Today, Holland is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary structure.
Academic text (1994) -
The society aroused bitter opposition because of its proposal that membership be hereditary.
Academic text (1997) -
Many diseases, such as diabetes, can be hereditary, passing down from parents to children.
Synonyms
Related to family members from earlier generations
Property or rights passed down within a family for generations
Passed from parents to children through genes
Passed from parents to children through genes
Older family members give things like clothes or recipes to younger ones
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
A health problem parents can pass to their children through genes
- Specialized
A brain condition passed from parents that causes balance, walking, speech, and eye problems
- Specialized
An inherited nerve disease that causes gradual weakness and loss of feeling in the hands and lower legs
- Specialized
A disease passed down in families that slowly damages the nerves in the spine, causing weak muscles and walking problems
How Legitimate
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Hereditary comes from the Latin root heres, which means 'heir' or 'one who receives'. This is the same root as the English word heir, so a hereditary right or title is something passed down within a family from one generation to the next.