heredity
Americannoun
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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.
noun
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the transmission from one generation to another of genetic factors that determine individual characteristics: responsible for the resemblances between parents and offspring
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the sum total of the inherited factors or their characteristics in an organism
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of heredity
First recorded in 1530–40; from Middle French heredite, from Latin hērēditāt-, stem of hērēditās “inheritance,” from hērēd- (stem of hērēs ) heir + -itās -ity
Compare meaning
How does heredity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Heredity is the biological process responsible for passing on physical traits from one generation to another. If your mom and dad both have dreamy blue eyes and so do you, then you've got hereditary to thank for your movie-star gaze. First used in the 1530s, the noun heredity comes from the Latin word hereditatem, meaning "condition of being an heir." It can refer to inheriting characteristics from your parents, or it can refer more broadly to the passing on of genetic factors from one generation to the next. Heredity will determine a person's hair color and height. And due to heredity, some people are more susceptible to diseases and disorders like cancer, alcoholism, and depression.
Vocabulary lists containing heredity
Genetics - Inheritance and Variation of Traits
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Genetics - Middle School
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Life Science: Genetics and Evolution
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The findings were published recently in the Journal of Heredity.
From Science Daily • Oct. 2, 2023
It was suspected that they originated from the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Heredity, and Eugenics, which stood on the site from 1927 to 1945.
From Reuters • Mar. 23, 2023
Now, a new study in the journal Heredity investigated the genetic diversity of modern cat populations across the globe and put a date on when they morphed into the domestic animals we know today.
From Salon • Dec. 14, 2022
That finding, included in a study published Thursday in The Journal of Heredity, is particularly remarkable, as such cases are unusual among birds.
From New York Times • Oct. 30, 2021
Galton called this the Ancestral Law of Heredity.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
