noun
heredity
hih-REH-dih-tee
noun
1
The passing of physical or genetic traits from parents to their children.
"Heredity explains why she has her mother's eye colour."
How to Use Heredity
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe biological process by which traits are passed from parents to offspring.
Common mistake
"Heredity" is the noun for the process itself; "hereditary" is the adjective describing something passed down (a hereditary disease).
Easily confused with
Word Forms
heredities plural
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_____ explains why she has her mother's eye colour.
Etymology
From Latin hērēditās ("condition of being an heir"), from hērēs ("heir"), via French heredité.