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

Derived Forms

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

The Wilmington, Del., company said VGA039 is currently in Phase 3 pivotal development for patients with von Willebrand disease, the most common inherited bleeding disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Capita said it had inherited a backlog of more than 86,000 cases rather than the 37,000 it had expected.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

Along with routine screening through mammography or MRI, some individuals with inherited genetic mutations that greatly increase breast cancer risk may choose preventive surgery, including prophylactic mastectomy.

From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2026

When mom passed away, I inherited a little money for the first time — and I used some of it to finally travel to Italy on my own.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

This must be where I inherited my “tidying up” skills from.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas