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# hereditary

adjective (hereditary)

«hereditary» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (science) Hereditary describes a feature or illness that is passed from parents to children through genes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hereditary/#m1)
2. Hereditary describes a title, job or right that is passed down in a family from parent to child, like a crown. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hereditary/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science lessons it goes with inheritance and genes: eye colour, freckles and some illnesses are hereditary. In history and politics, kings, queens and some lords hold hereditary titles; the UK House of Lords used to have many hereditary peers. Phrases: «hereditary disease», «hereditary title», «hereditary monarchy».

### Examples

- Freckles are often hereditary. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hereditary/#x1)
- The doctor asked if the illness was hereditary. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hereditary/#x2)
- The UK has a hereditary monarchy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hereditary/#x3)
- His grandfather had a hereditary title as a lord. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hereditary/#x4)
- Being left-handed is partly hereditary. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hereditary/#x5)
- Some hereditary diseases can be tested for before birth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hereditary/#x6)

### Note

Adjective. Pronounced «huh-RED-ih-tree» or «huh-RED-ih-tair-ee». Related: heredity (noun), heritage, inherit, heir. Trap: not everything that runs in a family is hereditary — habits and language are learned, not passed by genes.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «hereditary» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hereditary/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«hereditary» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/hereditary.html) on Mova free.