What does inheritable mean?
Inheritable means capable of being inherited: it describes property, rights, debts, characteristics, or biological traits that can pass to an heir or descendant. Its implication is possibility rather than inevitability, which distinguishes it from hereditary, a term more closely associated with characteristics actually transmitted across generations. In law, inheritable property is an asset or interest that may pass to an heir under the applicable rules of succession. In biology and genetics, an inheritable mutation or condition is one that can be passed from parent to child. The word is especially useful when discussing what is potentially transmissible rather than what has certainly been passed on. Although it can sound legalistic or technical, it also appears in general explanations of genetics and inheritance. Inheritable is broadly used in British and American English.
adjectiveCapable of being inherited or passed on to a successor or descendant. The term is especially common in legal contexts and in the biological sciences.
- Capable of being inherited by a successor or descendant, especially as property, a right, or a characteristic.
"The collection is inheritable by the founder's children under the terms of the will."
"The mutation is inheritable and may therefore pass from an affected parent to a child."
"Under the trust's terms, the house and its contents are inheritable by the beneficiary."
A trait may be inheritable without being passed down in every generation: inheritable describes the possibility of transmission, not its inevitability.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inheritable come from?
The English adjective inheritable was formed from inherit and the suffix -able, meaning “able to be inherited.” The verb inherit entered English through Anglo-French from Latin inhereditare, “to make an heir to,” which was based on the Latin noun heres, meaning “heir.” Related English forms such as inheritance and inheritor reflect this same Latin origin.
How inheritable is actually used
The word is formal or technical rather than conversational. It is common in legal and administrative language, and in biology and genetics it describes a characteristic or condition that can be transmitted from one generation to the next.
Easily confused with inheritable
Inheritable means capable of being passed on, whereas hereditary more specifically refers to traits transmitted from parents to offspring.
Heritable is a chiefly British variant spelling, often encountered in legal writing, while inheritable is more common in general and scientific usage.