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Synonyms

inheritable

American  
[in-her-i-tuh-buhl] / ɪnˈhɛr ɪ tə bəl /

adjective

  1. capable of being inherited.

  2. capable of inheriting; qualified to inherit.


inheritable British  
/ ɪnˈhɛrɪtəbəl /

adjective

  1. capable of being transmitted by heredity from one generation to a later one

  2. capable of being inherited

  3. rare capable of inheriting; having the right to inherit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • inheritability noun
  • inheritableness noun
  • inheritably adverb
  • noninheritability noun
  • noninheritable adjective
  • noninheritableness noun
  • uninheritability noun
  • uninheritable adjective

Etymology

Origin of inheritable

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Anglo-French; in- 2, heritable

Compare meaning

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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.

Scientists in Japan have identified a virus that selectively kills males — and it happens to be inheritable, creating generation upon generation of all females.

From New York Times • Nov. 6, 2023

The nation itself held on to the mineral rights of the land, granting each member an inheritable “headright” to the share of the nation’s mineral wealth.

From National Geographic • Sep. 15, 2023

With a genetic predisposition, the inheritable mutations are frequently found in DNA repair genes.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 10, 2023

Natural selection leads to a sudden inheritable change in the genome of the female elk, ensuring female elk with very high fat reserves to effectively carry out pregnancy.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

With man peculiarities in the milk and second teeth, of which I have received the details, are inheritable, and with man longevity is often transmitted.

From The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Volume II (of 2) by Darwin, Charles