eugenic
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to measures intended to produce a perceived improvement in the characteristics of the human species or a human population, especially through reproductive policy.
-
having inherited characteristics that are seen as favorable for the purpose of producing or reproducing perceived improvements in the human species or a human population.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of eugenic
First recorded in 1880–85; from Greek eugen(ḗs) “wellborn” ( see eu-, -gen) + -ic
Explanation
Something eugenic relates to the idea that self-selecting genetic characteristics, like hair or eye color, can improve a race. The Nazis' eugenic plans to create a "master race" marked one of the darkest periods in the twentieth century. The adjective eugenic traces its roots from the Greek word eugenes, meaning "well-born." The field of eugenics aimed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to improve the characteristics of a race by promoting certain qualities in its offspring, which they then would pass on to future generations. But it also tried to prevent people with "unfavorable" qualities from procreating. This philosophy has greatly fallen out of favor since World War II, especially among biologists.
Vocabulary lists containing eugenic
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“They claimed that the Eugenic Protection Law was similar to the Nazi sterilisation. This heavily tarnished the public image of ‘eugenics’.”
From The Guardian • Apr. 3, 2018
"It doesn't meet the bar for autonomous decision-making. You have built into it a hierarchical relationship," says Alexandra Minna Stern, a historian at the University of Michigan and author of Eugenic Nation.
From BBC • Aug. 17, 2017
Hochhuth's Pope has been almost universally denounced as an unbelievable caricature of the Eugenic Pacelli who ruled Roman Catholicism from 1939 to 1958.
From Time Magazine Archive
Eugenic Martinez, 60, heads leasing department of Miami Chevrolet dealer.
From Time Magazine Archive
Had he only done so, what a lot of letters to the Times, advertisements of patent medicines; and Eugenic discussions we should have been spared!
From Essays in Rebellion by Nevinson, Henry W.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
