heredity

[ huh-red-i-tee ]
/ həˈrɛd ɪ ti /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR heredity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural he·red·i·ties. Biology.

the transmission of genetic characters from parents to offspring: it is dependent upon the segregation and recombination of genes during meiosis and fertilization and results in the genesis of a new individual similar to others of its kind but exhibiting certain variations resulting from the particular mix of genes and their interactions with the environment.
the genetic characters so transmitted.
Compare congenital.

Origin of heredity

1530–40; < Middle French heredite < Latin hērēditāt- (stem of hērēditās) inheritance, equivalent to hērēd- (stem of hērēs) heir + -itāt- -ity

Words nearby heredity

hereditary opalescent dentin, hereditary progressive arthro-ophthalmopathy, hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary spinal ataxia, hereditist, heredity, heredo-, heredo-familial, heredofamilial, heredomacular degeneration, hereford

Words related to heredity

ancestry, constitution, inheritance, eugenics, genetics

Example sentences from the Web for heredity

British Dictionary definitions for heredity

heredity
/ (hɪˈrɛdɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the transmission from one generation to another of genetic factors that determine individual characteristics: responsible for the resemblances between parents and offspring
the sum total of the inherited factors or their characteristics in an organism

Word Origin for heredity

C16: from Old French heredite, from Latin hērēditās inheritance; see heir

Medical definitions for heredity

heredity
[ hə-rĕd′ĭ-tē ]

n.

The genetic transmission of characteristics from parent to offspring.
One's genetic constitution.

Scientific definitions for heredity

heredity
[ hə-rĕd′ĭ-tē ]

The passage of biological traits or characteristics from parents to offspring through the inheritance of genes.

Cultural definitions for heredity

heredity

The passing of characteristics from parents to children. (See genetics.)