What Does Inherited Mean?

The word inherited is the past tense of the verb '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'. When someone receives property from an ancestor, he is said to have inherited the property. Such property is received as a legacy or is inherited by legal succession.

Inherit could also mean 'to receive from a predecessor'. For example: the new government inherited the problems of the preceding one. In Biology, the term 'inherited' is related to genes. The characteristics that appear in the new generation are said to be inherited from the former (parent) generation.

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