n.
Pronunciation: h ə - ' re-d ə -t ē
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French heredité, from Latin hereditat-, hereditas, from hered-, heres heir ― more at HEIR
Date: circa 1540
1 a : INHERITANCE b : TRADITION
2 a : the sum of the characteristics and potentialities genetically derived from one's ancestors b : the transmission of such qualities from ancestor to descendant through the genes