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he·red·i·tar·y

(hə-rĕdĭ-tĕr′ē)

adj.

a. Of or relating to heredity or inheritance.

b. Transmitted or capable of being transmitted genetically from parent to offspring: a hereditary disease.

a. Passed down from one generation to the next: a hereditary prejudice.

b. Being such or possessed by reason of birth: a hereditary aristocracy.

3. Law

a. Capable of being inherited.

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

c. Having title or possession through inheritance.

[Middle English, from Latin hērēditārius, from hērēditās, inheritance; see HEREDITY.]

he·red′i·tari·ly (-târə-lē) adv.

he·redi·tar′i·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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