as in genetic
genetically passed or capable of being passed from parent to offspring eye and hair color are hereditary

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hereditary People with celiac disease, a hereditary autoimmune disorder, have to eat a gluten-free diet. Katie Akin, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2025 Huntington’s disease is a hereditary disorder that causes a progressive decline in thinking, memory, and the control of movements. Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 27 Mar. 2025 And Albert really rules: while other European countries have monarchs as symbolic heads of state, Monaco’s government is a hereditary and constitutional monarchy. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025 By contrast, the plantation economy relied on rigid racial hierarchies and hereditary enslavement. Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hereditary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hereditary
Adjective
  • New biotechnologies possible These previously unknown and newly described species carry genetic traits associated with resilience to extreme environments such as those found in space.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 20 May 2025
  • Investigators then turned to investigative genetic genealogy for answers.
    Jordan Kinsey, CBS News, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • But Next Time? The fast-moving conflict between India and Pakistan last week demonstrated the inherent dangers of the modern nuclear age. 7h agoBy W.J. Hennigan TODAYS FRONT PAGES Edition: INYT - Page Two Harvard Law Paid $27 for a Copy of Magna Carta.
    Ben Hubbard Saumya Khandelwal Matthew DeFeo W.J. Hennigan, New York Times, 15 May 2025
  • This description captures both the ambition and the inherent tension in this evolution.
    Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • Quoting the late American historian Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, Horn said Jewish culture makes a distinction between history and memory, and Jews are more interested in memory: investing a historical event with eternal, inheritable meaning.
    Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Our vision is that the future of design will have a long lasting inheritable quality.
    Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hereditary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hereditary. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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