Hereditary vs. Heredity — What's the Difference?

(of a title, office, or right) conferred by or based on inheritance

Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic information of their parents. Through heredity, variations between individuals can accumulate and cause species to evolve by natural selection.

(of a set) defined such that every element which has a given relation to a member of the set is also a member of the set.

The genetic transmission of characteristics from parent to offspring.

Of or relating to heredity or inheritance.

The sum of characteristics and associated potentialities transmitted genetically to an individual organism.

Transmitted or capable of being transmitted genetically from parent to offspring

Hereditary transmission of the physical and genetic qualities of parents to their offspring; the biological law by which living beings tend to repeat their characteristics in their descendants.

Passed down from one generation to the next

Hereditary transmission of the physical and psychical qualities of parents to their offspring; the biological law by which living beings tend to repeat their characteristics in their descendants. See Pangenesis.

Being such or possessed by reason of birth

The biological process whereby genetic factors are transmitted from one generation to the next

Capable of being inherited.

The total of inherited attributes

Descending from an ancestor to a legal heir; passing down by inheritance.

Having title or possession through inheritance.

Passed on as an inheritance, by last will or intestate.

Of a title, honor or right: legally granted to somebody's descendant after that person's death.

Of a person: holding a legally hereditary title or rank.

Of a disease or trait: passed from a parent to offspring in the genes.

(math) Of a ring: such that all submodules of projective modules over the ring are also projective.

A hereditary ruler; a hereditary peer in the House of Lords.

Descended, or capable of descending, from an ancestor to an heir at law; received or passing by inheritance, or that must pass by inheritance; as, an hereditary estate or crown.

Transmitted, or capable of being transmitted, as a constitutional quality or condition from a parent to a child; as, hereditary pride, bravery, disease.

Tending to occur among members of a family usually by heredity;

Inherited or inheritable by established rules (usually legal rules) of descent;