Noun: heredity hu're-di-tee
- The biological process whereby genetic factors are transmitted from one generation to the next
"The study of heredity helps us understand how traits are passed down through families"
- The total of inherited attributes
"Her heredity included a predisposition for mathematical ability";
- genetic endowment
Derived forms: heredities
Type of: biological process, organic process, property
Encyclopedia: Heredity, Historical Perspective