- (of a disease or characteristic)
given to a child by its parents before it is born 遗传的；遗传性的 a hereditary disease/disorder 遗传性疾病/紊乱 hereditary physical traits, such as height and eye colour 遗传的身体特征，如身高和眼睛颜色 Epilepsy is hereditary in her family. 癫痫是她家族的遗传病。 It’s a hereditary disorder that can cause abnormal growth. 这是一种可能会导致发育异常的遗传病。
that is legally given to somebody’s child, when that person dies 世袭的 a hereditary title/monarchy 世袭的头衔／君主制
holding a rank or title that is hereditary 有世袭身份（或头衔）的 hereditary peers/rulers 世袭的贵族／统治者
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin hereditarius, from hereditas, from heres, hered- ‘heir’.