The capacity of an organism to transmit its characteristics to its offspring. Also: the quality of being hereditary; the degree to which a characteristic or condition is hereditary.
Origin
Late 19th century; earliest use found in Ray Lankester (1847–1929), zoologist. From heredity + -ive + -ity, originally translating German Erblichkeit.
Definition of hereditivity in US English:
hereditivity
nounhɪˌrɛdɪˈtɪvɪti
Biology rare
The capacity of an organism to transmit its characteristics to its offspring. Also: the quality of being hereditary; the degree to which a characteristic or condition is hereditary.
Origin
Late 19th century; earliest use found in Ray Lankester (1847–1929), zoologist. From heredity + -ive + -ity, originally translating German Erblichkeit.