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There is a growing literature on the intergenerational transmission of trauma, representing approaches across psychodynamic, family systems, epidemiological, sociological, and biological levels of analysis. Embitterment has been proposed as a response to severe, but normative, stressful events, different from the life-threatening trauma that precedes posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This article reviews the potential applicability of the construct of embitterment to trauma and intergenerational effects through (a) a historical review of the intergenerational transmission of trauma literature,(b) a discussion of embitterment versus PTSD,(c) a brief review of theories of mechanisms of transmission, and (d) a discussion of biological findings and their interpretation. Mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of trauma, which may include psychodynamic processes, vicarious trauma …