as in hereditary
genetically passed or capable of being passed from parent to offspring
heritable characteristics like skin and eye and hair color
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Recent Examples of heritable
Longevity, the authors estimated, was about 25 percent heritable, meaning the remaining three quarters was determined by environmental factors and lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise.
—
Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 Jan. 2026
Temperament is partially heritable.
—Angela J. Narayan, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Most cases of early-onset cancer are not explained by a heritable factor, but Ng said those diagnosed with any cancer at a young age have a higher chance of being diagnosed with a hereditary syndrome, such as Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
It had been established that identical twins are quite a bit more similar in their IQ than fraternal twins and that intelligence differences are heritable in a limited statistical sense.
—Eric Turkheimer, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heritable
Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 Jan. 2026
Temperament is partially heritable.
—Angela J. Narayan, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Most cases of early-onset cancer are not explained by a heritable factor, but Ng said those diagnosed with any cancer at a young age have a higher chance of being diagnosed with a hereditary syndrome, such as Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
It had been established that identical twins are quite a bit more similar in their IQ than fraternal twins and that intelligence differences are heritable in a limited statistical sense.
—Eric Turkheimer, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heritable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heritable
Adjective
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The report said Hejazi warned members of the Assembly of Experts that Mojtaba lacked the qualifications to become supreme leader and that hereditary succession would violate the principles laid out by Ali Khamenei.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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Its questions about hereditary mental illness, the truth, and who can be labeled a genius — especially with a Black woman at the center — continue to resonate.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The lawsuit requests the clinic undertake free genetic testing for all patients and children whose birth resulted from embryo implantation throughout the last five years, the amount of time the clinic had the couple's embryos in its possession.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
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The drug targets an ultra-rare genetic condition caused by a mutation that prevents the body from making a protein required for hearing.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And yet researchers examining muscle tissue from children with Duchenne have detected healthy cells capable of making normal dystrophin, evidence of a somatic mutation autocorrecting the inherited one.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Parliament voted to remove hereditary aristocrats from the House of Lords, ending a 700-year British political tradition of inherited seats.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Dias, on behalf of Owens’ estate, is seeking compensation for the past and future mental pain and suffering of Owens’ minor children, expenses of medical care and funeral arrangements arising from Owens’ death, loss of Owens’ prospective earnings and loss of inheritable estate.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2025
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Citizenship strategy has moved from a fringe consideration to standard practice among high-net-worth families, with parents and grandparents increasingly viewing passports as a form of inheritable wealth.—
Alex Ohnona,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Stedman offers a heartfelt homage to the virtues of rural community and the natural beauty unique to Western Australia, as well as a critique of the strictures and dangers inherent in small-minded communities.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
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In addition, inherent design flaws contributed to the disaster, notably the graphite end switches of the neutron-absorbing rods.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heritable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heritable. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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