hereditárius

Hereditárius is a Latin adjective meaning "inherited" or "belonging to inheritance." In scholarly use, it underpins terms describing traits, conditions, or privileges transmitted from ancestors to descendants. The root lies with Latin heres (heir) and hereditas (inheritance); from it, many modern languages derive forms such as hereditary in English and their cognates in other tongues.

In biology and medicine, hereditary describes traits and diseases passed from parents to offspring through genes. Heredity governs inheritance patterns, such as autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, and X-linked transmission. A condition can be inherited even if it is not evident at birth, and not all inherited traits are purely genetic, as they may be affected by epigenetic factors or environment.

In law and social organization, hereditary describes rights or titles transmitted by succession. A hereditary title or estate passes to heirs according to established rules, sometimes involving primogeniture or entailment, rather than being newly granted. In monarchies and noble systems, the throne or lordship is often characterized as hereditary.

Notes: the exact usage of forms derived from hereditarius varies by language and discipline. See also heredity, genetics, inheritance, and hereditary law.