What does inheritability mean?
Inheritability is the noun form of inheritable and means that something has the capacity to pass to another person. Its most common use is in legal language, where it describes whether a right, title, privilege, or property interest can pass to an heir or successor. For example, the inheritability of a title may depend on law, the terms under which it was granted, or restrictions attached to it. The word is also used more broadly when discussing whether a characteristic can be transmitted from parent to child, although heritability is normally preferred in biology and related fields. Inheritability is less common than the adjective inheritable, but it is useful when a speaker needs to name the underlying quality rather than discuss a particular inherited item. Its legal associations give it a formal tone, while its biological associations connect inheritance in law with the related biological process.
nounThe quality or condition of being inheritable, especially the capacity of a right, privilege, or property interest to pass to another person by succession.
- The quality of being capable of passing to another person, especially through inheritance or succession.
"The court considered the inheritability of the title before deciding who could claim it."
"The restriction did not affect the inheritability of the family estate."
"She asked the solicitor whether the intellectual property was sufficiently protected to remain subject to inheritability."
The plural is rarely needed because the word usually refers to a single quality or legal status.
"The report compared the inheritabilities of several forms of intellectual property."
What passes to an heir and what passes from parent to child share a vocabulary rooted in inheritance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of inheritability
The word is formed from inherit and the suffix -ability, producing a noun meaning “the quality of being inheritable.” Inherit comes through Anglo-French from Latin hērēditāre, a derivative of hērēs, “heir,” while -ability ultimately comes from Latin habilitas, “ability, capability.”
Related word forms
How inheritability is actually used
This is a relatively uncommon, formal noun used chiefly in legal and related contexts. For a biological trait, “heritability” is usually the more established statistical term.