Heredity vs. Inheritance — What's the Difference?

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.

Inheritance is the practice of passing on private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time.

The genetic transmission of characteristics from parent to offspring.

The action of inheriting something

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

Something inherited or to be inherited

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.

Something regarded as a heritage

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.

The process of genetic transmission of characteristics from parent or ancestor to offspring.

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

A characteristic so inherited.

The total of inherited attributes

The sum of genetically transmitted characteristics.

The passing of title to an estate upon death.

(countable) That which a person is entitled to inherit, by law or testament.

The act or mechanism of inheriting; the state of having inherited

The biological attributes passed hereditarily from ancestors to their offspring.

The mechanism whereby parts of a superclass are available to instances of its subclass.

The act or state of inheriting; as, the inheritance of an estate; the inheritance of mental or physical qualities.

That which is or may be inherited; that which is derived by an heir from an ancestor or other person; a heritage; a possession which passes by descent.

A permanent or valuable possession or blessing, esp. one received by gift or without purchase; a benefaction.

Possession; ownership; acquisition.

Transmission and reception by animal or plant generation.

A perpetual or continuing right which a man and his heirs have to an estate; an estate which a man has by descent as heir to another, or which he may transmit to another as his heir; an estate derived from an ancestor to an heir in course of law.

Hereditary succession to a title or an office or property

That which is inherited; a title or property or estate that passes by law to the heir on the death of the owner

(genetics) attributes acquired via biological heredity from the parents

Any attribute or immaterial possession that is inherited from ancestors;