as in genetic
genetically passed or capable of being passed from parent to offspring heritable characteristics like skin and eye and hair color

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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 heritable Haidt is far from the first person to assert that a proper understanding of evolutionary science implies the existence of heritable group differences, including in intelligence, that conform to common stereotypes. Erik Baker, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025 For now, most therapies target the body's somatic cells, not the germline—but as our tools improve, the possibility of heritable cures edges closer, raising hope and new ethical questions. William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025 Programs slated for elimination include Healthy Start, which is dedicated to healthy pregnancies and births, newborn screenings for heritable disorders and hearing, infant and early childhood mental health, childhood lead poisoning, family planning and drowning prevention. Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025 Behavioral traits have a heritable component and are more readily observable than skeletal structure when assessing a dog's suitability for specific work. Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heritable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heritable
Adjective
  • And growing plants from seed opens the door to greater genetic diversity.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
  • However, when siblings were included in the analysis – controlling for environmental, medical and genetic factors that could have contributed – the small, elevated risk disappeared.
    Tami S. Rowen, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Amid the churn in Europe and globally, with trenchant nationalism on the rise, and a war raging in Ukraine just 1,200 miles from the palace, many might say that having a hereditary royal as their head of state offers some reassuring continuity, acting as a counterweight to political upheaval.
    Vivienne Walt, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The hereditary condition has impacted the 78-year-old’s life and stopped her from performing small routine activities most people take for granted.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The last thing an inherited home or property should bring about is unnecessary stress or financial strain.
    Ronny Maye, Essence, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Coaching again focused on thinking, teaching participants to engage in generative conversations about inherited truths, surfacing blind spots and nurturing innovation.
    Thomas Lim, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • These shares are also inheritable, allowing them to be passed on to heirs.
    Daniela Sanjinés, The Conversation, 22 July 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • Yet once someone had suggested the inherent instability in a relationship between writers, there seemed to be no way to defuse the assessment.
    Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
  • In the 13-episode epic, Our Blues’ Kim Woo-bin stars as Iblis, a Satanic genie who is utterly convinced of humanity’s inherent greed.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Heritable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heritable. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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