He-rĕd'i-ta-ry, a.

(44), a. [Lat. hereditarius, from hereditas; Fr. héréditaire, Pr. hereditari, Sp. & Pg. hereditario, It. ereditario.]

1Sense 1. Descended by inheritance, or from an ancestor; as, he is in possession of a large hereditary estate.

2Sense 2. Capable of descending from an ancestor to an heir; descendible to an heir at law; as, the crown of Great Britain is hereditary.

3Sense 3. Transmitted, or capable of being transmitted, from a parent to a child; as, hereditary pride; hereditary bravery; hereditary disease.

Synonyms—Ancestral; patrimonial; inheritable.