What Does Inheritance Mean?

The word 'inheritance' is obtained from the verb 'inherit'. Inheritance is the noun form of 'inherit'. It has its origin in Latin and is obtained from the word 'inhereditare'. 'Inhereditare' is formed of two words: the Latin prefix 'in' and the Late Latin word 'hereditare'. Hereditare means 'to inherit'. Later, it was adapted by the Old French as enheriter. Then, the Middle English modified it as 'enheriten'. The act of inheriting by succession or genetically is inheritance. The property or any other thing that is inherited or passed on to the heir or next generation is termed 'inheritance'.

Something which is referred to as a heritage is also called in heritance. For example: cultural inheritance from Greece. It indicates something that is received from the Greek society.  In Biology, the characteristics that one generation receives from the parent generation are termed 'inheritance'. The process of transmission of the characteristics through genes is also called 'inheritance'.