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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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 heredity 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 For people who are profoundly deaf, there is an interruption of the sound signal to the auditory nerve, which can be caused by illness, trauma, or heredity. — IEEE Spectrum, 27 Jan. 2022 The institution of the caliphate, now based on the twin principles of force and heredity, was further degraded from the middle of the tenth century with the rise of Turko-Persian military fiefdoms. — Mohammed Ayoob, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2016 See All Example Sentences for heredity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for heredity

Noun

Earlier in the episode, the bad blood between Tamra and Shannon Storms Beador over the last few seasons bubbled up in the storyline.

— Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 10 July 2026
Perno has been battling cancer in his blood and his right lung since January.

— Jack Leo, AJC.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of blood

Noun

Othram, based in The Woodlands, Texas, specializes in advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy, a method that can help investigators identify suspects or unknown victims when traditional law enforcement databases do not produce a match.

— Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Investigators identified Cheryl using forensic genetic genealogy.

— Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026

Definition of genealogy

Noun

Hers is a voice that ought to have a lifetime’s staying power, bolstered by a lyrical and musical sensibility that provide everything her instrument needs to deliver a happy succession of knockout blows.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 3 July 2026
Business owners are actively seeking guidance on value creation, risk reduction, succession and exit readiness.

— Craig West, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of succession

Noun

The irony here is thick, because while there were captive flamingos, escaped captive flamingos, and the occasional storm refugee along with sightings of coastal flybys, there were no longer any wild breeding birds.

— Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 6 July 2026
The film centers on an open rescue earlier this year and subsequent court case after activists raided Ridglan, a Wisconsin beagle breeding facility.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 July 2026

Definition of breeding

Noun

However, elites’ DNA contained genetic similarities known as runs of homozygosity — adjacent genetic markers indicating common ancestry — and their genomes tended to be more homogenous than those of non-elites.

— Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Maybe that ancestry made Beck the wrong guy to pitch on America’s big day.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026

Definition of ancestry

Noun

Other theories suggest that certain cells within the abdomen may transform into endometrial-like tissue, while some evidence points to stem cells or developmental changes that occur before birth.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Maxton Bowman — a 2-year-old from Shildon, England — is autistic and nonverbal, and has faced health challenges since birth.

— Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026

Definition of birth

Noun

The family fought for three hours last July Fourth to stay alive after more than a summer’s worth of rain fell overnight on bone-dry soil, pushing the waterway from about 3 feet to 30 feet in just 45 minutes.

— Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
History shows family successions, whether in North Korea or Syria, tend to happen through rigid authoritarian control, with the transfer of power underwritten by whoever controls the military.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Definition of family

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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 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of heredity

noun

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