heritability

noun

her·i·ta·bil·i·ty | \ ˌher-ə-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē,

ˌhe-rə-\

Definition of heritability

1 : the quality or state of being heritable

2 : the proportion of observed variation in a particular trait (such as height) that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors in contrast to environmental ones

Examples of heritability in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That high level of assortative mating was massively inflating the heritability estimate. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "Genetics play less of a role in lifespan than we thought," 8 Nov. 2018 But for cystic fibrosis, another such condition, heritability was only 1%. — Jocelyn Kaiser, Science | AAAS, "Family trees hidden in medical records could predict your disease risk," 17 May 2018 The researchers then overlaid those trees with information on each individual’s health conditions, gleaned from billing codes and lab tests, and used the combined data to estimate the heritability of about 500 traits and diseases. — Jocelyn Kaiser, Science | AAAS, "Family trees hidden in medical records could predict your disease risk," 17 May 2018 The idea that intelligence is highly malleable also jars with research on its heritability. — The Economist, "How and why to search for young Einsteins," 22 Mar. 2018 But according to senior author and Harvard epidemiologist Karestan Koenen, those findings only inferred heritability. — Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, "Genetic Roots of PTSD," 1 Feb. 2018 Psychopathy heritability is probably between 50-70 percent. — Lynn Johnson, National Geographic, "How Fear Makes You Do Good Or Evil," 3 Jan. 2018 The results suggest while use of antidepressants may increase a child's risk of psychiatric disease, heritability could also play a major role, according to study authors. — Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan, "17 Things You Need to Know About Taking Antidepressants During Pregnancy," 11 Sep. 2017 To date no heritability (degree to which characteristics are transmitted from parents to offspring) has been demonstrated for any of these diseases. — Adrian Tordiffe, Smithsonian, "How to Help Cheetahs Live Longer in Captivity," 24 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heritability.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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17 Dec 2018

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The first known use of heritability was in 1832

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heritability

noun

her·i·ta·bil·i·ty | \ ˌher-ət-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē

plural heritabilities

Medical Definition of heritability

1 : the quality or state of being heritable

2 : the proportion of observed variation in a particular trait (as intelligence) that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors in contrast to environmental ones