He‐red″i‐ta‐ry (?), a. [L. hereditarius, fr. hereditas heirship, inheritance, fr. heres heir: cf. F. héréditaire. See Heir.] 1. Descended, or capable of descending, from an ancestor to an heir at law; received or passing by inheritance, or that must pass by inheritance; as, an hereditary estate or crown.
2. Transmitted, or capable of being transmitted, as a constitutional quality or condition from a parent to a child; as, hereditary pride, bravery, disease.
Syn. — Ancestral; patrimonial; inheritable.