heritable
adjective
her·i·ta·ble
ˈher-ə-tə-bəl 
ˈhe-rə-
1
: capable of being inherited or of passing by inheritance
2
Synonyms of heritable
Examples of heritable in a Sentence
heritable characteristics like skin and eye and hair color
Recent Examples on the Web
Longevity, the authors estimated, was about 25 percent heritable, meaning the remaining three quarters was determined by environmental factors and lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise.
—
Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 Jan. 2026
Many researchers had coalesced around an estimate that roughly 20% to 25% of our lifespan was heritable, though a 2018 paper from researchers at Alphabet’s longevity arm Calico Life Sciences put it below 10%.
—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 29 Jan. 2026
Temperament is partially heritable.
—Angela J. Narayan, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Most cases of early-onset cancer are not explained by a heritable factor, but Ng said those diagnosed with any cancer at a young age have a higher chance of being diagnosed with a hereditary syndrome, such as Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heritable
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Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 Jan. 2026
Many researchers had coalesced around an estimate that roughly 20% to 25% of our lifespan was heritable, though a 2018 paper from researchers at Alphabet’s longevity arm Calico Life Sciences put it below 10%.
—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 29 Jan. 2026
Temperament is partially heritable.
—Angela J. Narayan, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Most cases of early-onset cancer are not explained by a heritable factor, but Ng said those diagnosed with any cancer at a young age have a higher chance of being diagnosed with a hereditary syndrome, such as Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heritable
Cite this Entry
“Heritable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heritable. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
heritable
adjective
her·i·ta·ble
ˈher-ət-ə-bəl
: capable of being inherited : hereditary
heritable differences in structure
Medical Definition
heritable
adjective
her·i·ta·ble
ˈher-ət-ə-bəl
: hereditary
one of several heritable childhood cancers—W. K. Cavenee et al.
W. K. Cavenee et al.Legal Definition
heritable
adjective
her·i·ta·ble
ˈher-ə-tə-bəl
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