Heritability is a term used to describe the degree of variation in a trait that is caused by genetic influences. Synonyms for heritability might include inheritableness, heritableness, genetic control, genetic influence, or genetic transmission. These terms all refer to the role that genes and genetic factors play in shaping various aspects of an organism's development and behavior. Other synonyms for heritability might include genetic determinism, genetic predisposition, or genetic potential, which emphasize the ways in which genetics can shape outcomes but do not necessarily suggest that genetic factors completely determine them. Ultimately, all of these synonyms point to the important role that genetics plays in shaping who we are and in understanding the ways in which we differ from one another.