macroevolution

American

[mak-roh-ev-uh-loo-shuhn, -ee-vuh-] / ˌmæk roʊˌɛv əˈlu ʃən, -ˌi və- /

noun

Biology.

major evolutionary transition from one type of organism to another occurring at the level of the species and higher taxa.

macroevolution British

/ ˌmækrəʊˌiːvəˈluːʃən /

noun

biology the evolution of large taxonomic groups such as genera and families

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

macroevolution Scientific

/ măk′rō-ĕv′ə-lo̅o̅′shən /

Evolution that results in the formation of a new taxonomic group above the level of a species.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

macroevolutionary

adjective

Etymology

Origin of macroevolution

First recorded in 1935–40; macro- + evolution

Vocabulary lists containing macroevolution

Evolutionary Biology - High School

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Evolutionary Biology - Middle School

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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.

"We have demonstrated that jawed fishes only became dominant because this event happened," says senior author Professor Lauren Sallan of the Macroevolution Unit at OIST.

From Science Daily • Jan. 11, 2026

Macroevolution results from evolutionary shifts, and it is difficult with our current understanding to explain the transition from DCC-M0-like to M1/PT-like genomes without such a shift.

From Nature • Sep. 18, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023