he·red·i·tary /hə-'re-də-ˌter-ē/ adj [Latin hereditarius, from hereditas inheritance, from hered - heres heir]
1: received or passing by inheritance or required to pass by inheritance
hereditary shares
2: having ownership or possession through inheritance
a hereditary chief
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.