Showing results for "inherited"

• past tense form of inherit.
• past participle of inherit.

inherited

American  

[in-her-i-tid] / ɪnˈhɛr ɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. received from or as if from one’s predecessors.

   Their wealth is from inherited properties, mostly through the estate of their mother’s parents.

   For the novelist Henry James, history, tradition, precedence, and established forms constituted the inherited wisdom of civilization.

2. received through genetic transmission.

   the family’s inherited trait of straight blond hair;

   kidney problems symptomatic of an inherited disorder.

3. Baseball. (of a base runner) allowed on base by a previous pitcher.

   The unlucky reliever balked, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch, allowed an inherited runner to score, and got only one out.

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Other Word Forms

• half-inherited
  adjective
• noninherited
  adjective
• quasi-inherited
  adjective
• uninherited
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of inherited

First recorded in 1795–1800; inherit ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Inherited means "handed down to you by your family." If your inherited traits include your red hair, freckles, and stubbornness, it means older people in your family also have them. Something you receive from your parents, grandparents, or other family members is inherited, whether it's a personality trait or a house in the Catskills. Some things are inherited genetically, like blue eyes, and others are inherited legally, like money or property you receive as an heir when someone dies. The Latin root is inhereditare, "to appoint as heir." The meaning changed in the 14th century to "receive, to be the heir."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inherited

In her mid-20s, Courtney-Grace was diagnosed with a genetic mutation, which can be inherited and is associated with an increased risk of tumours.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Abascal, who lived alone since her mother died in 2005, eventually inherited the lease.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

My husband, who is 59 and an only child, recently inherited $3 million from his father.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The impact is especially significant for people with inherited disorders that increase their susceptibility to intestinal cancer, including familial adenomatous polyposis.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

The future president inherited one of his father’s farms and, with it, ten enslaved people.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis