Synonyms of hereditary

hereditary

adjective

hə-ˈre-də-ˌter-ē 

as in genetic

genetically passed or capable of being passed from parent to offspring

eye and hair color are hereditary

Synonyms & Similar Words

• genetic
• inherited
• inherent
• inheritable
• genetical
• heritable
• inborn
• congenital
• innate
• inbred
• native
• natural

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• nonhereditary
• acquired

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hereditary different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of hereditary are congenital, inborn, inbred, and innate. While all these words mean "not acquired after birth," congenital and hereditary refer to what is acquired before or at birth, the former to things acquired during fetal development and the latter to things transmitted from one's ancestors.

a congenital heart murmur

eye color is hereditary

When might inborn be a better fit than hereditary?

While the synonyms inborn and hereditary are close in meaning, inborn suggests a quality or tendency either actually present at birth or so marked and deep-seated as to seem so.

her inborn love of nature

When can inbred be used instead of hereditary?

The synonyms inbred and hereditary are sometimes interchangeable, but inbred suggests something either acquired from parents by heredity or so deeply rooted and ingrained as to seem acquired in that way.

inbred political loyalties

Where would innate be a reasonable alternative to hereditary?

While in some cases nearly identical to hereditary, innate applies to qualities or characteristics that are part of one's inner essential nature.

an innate sense of fair play

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hereditary

One of the Clarksons likely received the Magna Carta at some point in the early 1800s from William Lowther, the hereditary lord of Appleby manor. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 May 2025

By Jennie Erin Smith His story—part clinical, part familial—forms the core of Valley of Forgetting, Jennie Erin Smith’s book on memory, medicine, and hereditary fate in rural Colombia. —Marion Renault, The Atlantic, 13 May 2025

Tough love is hereditary for the Toussaints, and while Mishi gives up the extravagances of her home to stay with Bruna, SuSu discovers the pressure of being mentored by Cheyenne. —Oliver Sava, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025

Yet that sprig held a hereditary, and potentially scandalous, secret. —Byandrew Curry, science.org, 6 Mar. 2025