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Heritable: meaning, definitions and examples

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heritable

 

[ ˈhɛrɪtəbl ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

genetics, inheritance

Heritable refers to the genetic characteristics that can be passed from parents to their offspring. These traits are governed by genes, which may influence various aspects of an individual's phenotype such as height, eye color, and susceptibility to certain diseases. In broader terms, heritable can also refer to qualities or conditions that can be transmitted in contexts beyond biology, such as behavioral traits. Understanding heritable factors is crucial in fields like genetics and medicine for predicting health risks and understanding family disease patterns.

Synonyms

genetic, inherited, transmissible

Examples of usage

  • Many traits are heritable and can be observed in family lineages.
  • Scientists study heritable diseases to identify genetic markers.
  • Heritable characteristics can be manipulated through selective breeding.

Translations

Translations of the word "heritable" in other languages:

🇵🇹 hereditário

🇮🇳 उत्तराधिकार

🇩🇪 erbberechtigt

🇮🇩 warisan

🇺🇦 наследний

🇵🇱 dziedziczny

🇯🇵 相続可能な

🇫🇷 héritable

🇪🇸 hereditario

🇹🇷 miras kalıtı

🇰🇷 상속 가능한

🇸🇦 وراثي

🇨🇿 dědičný

🇸🇰 dedičný

🇨🇳 可继承的

🇸🇮 dedniški

🇮🇸 erfðalegur

🇰🇿 мұрагерлік

🇬🇪 მემკვიდრეობითი

🇦🇿 irsi

🇲🇽 hereditario

Word origin

The term 'heritable' derives from the Middle English word 'heritable', rooted in the Old French 'héritabl', which itself comes from the Late Latin 'hereditabilis'. This Latin term is associated with 'hereditas', meaning 'inheritance', which relates to the idea of passing down traits or rights from ancestors to descendants. The concept of heritability has been central to discussions in law, culture, and science, especially in genetics, where it denotes the proportion of variation among individuals in a trait due to genetic factors. Over time, 'heritable' has evolved to encompass both understood and misunderstood aspects of inheritance, delving into both genetic predisposition and cultural transmission across generations.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #21,565, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.