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
Genotoxicity is when a substance or chemical is destructive to genetic information, causing DNA or chromosomal damage that can lead to mutations, cancer, or heritable defects.
—
Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for heritable
Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for heritable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heritable
Adjective
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Win or lose — hunger is hereditary in Norman.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified 11 years after Dred Scott, was drafted to repudiate that decision and to prevent the creation of a hereditary class of noncitizens within the United States.—
Jeff Ballou,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Some of the data stolen included raw genetic data, health reports, DNA shared with other relatives, and locations and birth years of relatives.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
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The genetic machinery for responding to photoperiod is deeply conserved; there is no evolutionary precedent for light at the wrong time of night, and therefore no adaptive buffer against it.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
28 May 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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Shifting gears, there is an inherent characteristic of generative AI and LLMs that most people are unaware of.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
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The sport, which has an inherent danger that is an undeniable part of its allure, has long had a complicated relationship with tragedy.—
Zach Powell,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heritable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heritable. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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