HEREDITY Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

heredity

noun

Definition of heredity

as in blood

formal the natural process by which physical and mental qualities are passed from a parent to a child Heredity plays no part in the disease.

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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 heredity These two features have led to the suggestion that early life was protein-free, with RNA handling both heredity and catalyzing a simple metabolism. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 13 Feb. 2026 His second album, Baby—a meditation on heredity, shredded and reconstituted in a $10 DJ program—was released to rapturous acclaim in August. — Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 Dec. 2025 To truly understand genes and heredity, researchers had to learn to read the DNA code. — Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025 In short, heredity advancement driven by desire. — D. Scott Schmid, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heredity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for heredity

Noun

Upgrade Your Pastries With More Fiber and Protein Pastries and bakery-style breakfasts like muffins or croissants are tasty and tempting, but they’re often made with refined flour, which strips away important blood-sugar-stabilizing nutrients.

— Caitlin Beale, HEALTH, 29 Oct. 2026
With 180 people injured, including 110 taken to hospitals, authorities issued a call for blood donations.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of blood

Noun

The forensic department at Oklahoma State University then took over genealogy profiling, according to Rouse.

— Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Lichtman's discovery highlights the role of JewishGen, one of the world's largest online resources for Jewish genealogy.

— Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of genealogy

Noun

Naz Reid struck fire midway through the fourth, executing, in quick succession, plays on both ends of the court.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2026
The charter school has worked to maintain its enrollment and identity despite operating in a succession of four locations since 2005.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of succession

Noun

According to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the Sacramento area and the Central Valley lie within the monarch butterfly’s early breeding zone.

— Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Lamm told TechCrunch that conventional breeding can produce dogs with poor eyesight or genetic predispositions to cancer.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of breeding

Noun

Fortune has reported on scammers using voice-cloning tools to impersonate relatives since 2023.

— Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
The changes include allowing the adoption of distant male relatives raised as commoners to become royals and father future heirs, and letting princesses keep their royal status after marrying commoners.

— Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of relatives

Noun

So is all change for the better, like birth and death, which convulse the body.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
In stark contrast to the organic, pictorial design of the Nativity Façade on the opposite side of the basilica, which depicts the birth of Jesus, Gaudí employed skeletal forms to evoke human suffering and Christ’s final days.

— Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of birth

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heredities

heredity

hereinbelow

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Style

“Heredity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heredity. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of heredity

noun

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