heritable

[ her-i-tuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. capable of being inherited; inheritable; hereditary.
2. capable of inheriting.

heritable

/ ˈhɛrɪtəbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being inherited; inheritable
2. law capable of inheriting

heritable

/ hĕr′ĭ-tə-bəl /

1. Capable of being passed from one generation to the next through the genes.

Derived Forms

• ˌheritaˈbility, noun
• ˈheritably, adverb

Other Words From

• herit·a·bili·ty noun
• herit·a·bly adverb
• nonher·it·a·bili·ty noun
• non·herit·a·ble adjective
• non·herit·a·bly adverb
• un·herit·a·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of heritable¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, equivalent to herit(er) “to inherit” + -able ( -able ); heir, heredity

Word History and Origins

Origin of heritable¹

C14: from Old French, from heriter to inherit

Example Sentences

Still, while He’s rush to move heritable genome editing into humans was reckless, Greely writes, human genome editing isn’t inherently wrong.

From Washington Post

Of course, a lot of what we understand about evolutionary mechanisms is based on particular modes of reproduction that occur on Earth, and there’s absolutely no reason that the way heritable information is passed here on Earth happens elsewhere.

From Nautilus

Churchland and I recently talked about how brain differences, which are underwritten by differences in our genes, shape our moral attitudes — and how those can be highly heritable.

From Vox

Gene editing to make heritable changes in human DNA isn’t yet safe and effective enough to make gene-edited babies, an international scientific commission says.

From Science News

If countries can’t ensure that all of those criteria are met, heritable gene editing shouldn’t be approved, the commissioners say.

From Science News

Twin and adoption studies have revealed that a disposition toward suicidal behavior is partially heritable.

From The Daily Beast

The father divides them as heritable property into equal portions for bequest to his children.

From Project Gutenberg

And so, again, the lords rights under the commendation seem to constitute an alienable and heritable seignory.

From Project Gutenberg

Already the process has begun which will make it applicable to every person who has heritable rights in land.

From Project Gutenberg

We know that taken individually the lawmen of Lincoln were holders of heritable franchises, of sake and soke.

From Project Gutenberg

True that the rights conferred upon them are not restrained within the compass of three lives but are heritable ad infinitum.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• genetic
• inborn
• transmitted