Set 40 · Study 1 / 5

Exit

hereditary

adjective/həˈrɛdəˌtɛri/

anything passed down genetically from the parents

Family medical histories are important to know since many diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, have a hereditary component, regardless of environmental and lifestyle factors.

innatecongenitalinborninheritedgenetic
word origin — late Middle English: from Latin hereditarius, from hereditas (see heredity)

Advanced — Set 40

Set 40 of Advanced covers 5 words: hereditary , resilient, impaired, nutritious, debilitating. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

  1. hereditary · adjective/həˈrɛdəˌtɛri/

    anything passed down genetically from the parents

    Family medical histories are important to know since many diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, have a hereditary component, regardless of environmental and lifestyle factors.

    Synonyms: innate, congenital, inborn, inherited, genetic

    Origin: late Middle English: from Latin hereditarius, from hereditas (see heredity)

  2. resilient · adjective/rəˈzɪliənt/

    being able to recover from a difficult situation

    Despite facing numerous setbacks and challenges in her career, Jane remained resilient, bouncing back stronger each time and never giving up on her goals.

    Synonyms: tough, strong

    Origin: mid 17th century: from Latin resilient- ‘leaping back’, from the verb resilire (see resile)

  3. impaired · adjective/ɪmˈpɛrd/

    weakened or damaged

    Children that are visually impaired are seldomly diagnosed before they start primary school.

    Synonyms: damaged, flawed, harmed

  4. nutritious · adjective/nuˈtrɪʃəs/

    food that includes beneficial substances that are healthy for the body

    The cookbook pointed out that vegetables were more nutritious if they were not overcooked and offered several recipes for steaming.

    Synonyms: beneficial, healthy

    Origin: mid 17th century: from Latin nutritius ‘that nourishes’ (from nutrex ‘a nurse’) + -ous

  5. debilitating · adjective/dəˈbɪləˌteɪdɪŋ/

    making someone weak or unable to fully function

    Parkinson's is a debilitating disease gradually causing the loss of movement control and leading, ultimately, to the need of round-the-clock care.

    Synonyms: weakening, impairing