he·red·i·tar·y / həˈrediˌterē/ • adj. (of a title, office, or right) conferred by or based on inheritance: members of the ancient Polish aristocracy who had hereditary right to elect the king. ∎  (of a person) holding a position by inheritance: I am the hereditary chief of the Piscataway people. ∎  (of a characteristic or disease) determined by genetic factors and therefore able to be passed on from parents to their offspring or descendants: cystic fibrosis is our most common fatal hereditary disease. ∎  of or relating to inheritance: a form of hereditary succession and dynastic rule became standard practice. ∎  Math. (of a set) defined such that every element that has a given relation to a member of the set is also a member of the set.DERIVATIVES: he·red·i·tar·i·ly / həˌrediˈte(ə)rəlē/ adv.he·red·i·tar·i·ness / həˌrediˈte(ə)rēnis/ n.

hereditary (hi-red-it-er-i) adj. transmitted from parents to their offspring; inherited.