Definition

The quality or condition of being able to be passed down from parents to their offspring, especially in terms of genetic traits.

Example

The heritability of height means that genetics play a significant role in determining how tall a person will be.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of heritability in genetics?

Yeah, it's about how traits are passed down from parents to kids, right?

Exactly! It’s interesting to think about how much of our height is due to heritability.

For sure, it makes you wonder how much of us is nature versus nurture!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Heritability is formed from "herit" (from Old French *heritier*, meaning to inherit) and "-ability" (from Latin *abilitas*, meaning capability). The term refers to the capability of traits to be inherited from one generation to the next.

Memory Tip

Think of 'inheriting' traits from your ancestors, which is what 'heritability' means — the ability to pass down characteristics.

Visually Confused Words