-gen
a combining form meaning “that which produces,” used in the formation of compound words.
-gen
1 American
Also
-gene
gen.
2
American
abbreviation
-
gender.
-
general.
-
genitive.
-
genus.
Gen.
3
American
abbreviation
-
Military. General.
-
Bible. Genesis.
-
Geneva.
-gen
1
British
suffix
-
producing or that which produces
hydrogen
-
something produced
carcinogen
Gen.
2
British
abbreviation
-
General
-
Bible Genesis
gen
3
British
/ dʒɛn /
noun
Usage
What does -gen mean? The combining form -gen is used like a suffix meaning “that which produces.” It is often used in scientific and technical terms, especially in chemistry and biology. The form -gen comes from Greek -genēs, meaning “born” or “produced.” The Latin translation and cognate of -genēs is nātus, meaning “born,” which is the source of natal, native, and nature. Find out how these terms derive from nātus at our entry for each word. What are variants of -gen?While the form -gen doesn't have any variants, it is related to the combining forms -genic, -geny, and -genous, as in heterogenic, heterogeny, and heterogenous. The form -gen is also closely related to the combining forms -genesis and -genetic as in carcinogenesis and autogenetic. Read our Words That Use articles for -genic, -geny, -genous, -genesis, and -genetic to learn more.
Etymology
Origin of -gen
< French -gène ≪ Greek -genēs born, produced; akin to Latin genus, kin
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.
See Examples For:
The word collagen actually derives from the Greek kolla, meaning glue, and the suffix -gen, meaning producer.
From Slate ● Feb. 15, 2012
EIA sees power gen. from coal sliding 15% in ’12, nat gas increases 24%.
From Washington Post ● May 9, 2012
In Adjectives beginning with a Labial or a Palatal, the aspirated form alone is used in the gen. and voc. sing. masc. the nom. dat. and voc. sing. feminine.
From Elements of Gaelic Grammar by Alexander Stewart
Meud m. bulk, beuc m. a roar, freumh f. a fibre, root, hardly admit of a, but have their gen. rather like the nom.
From Elements of Gaelic Grammar by Alexander Stewart
The gen. plural had the ending of the weak declension already in the oldest period of the language.
From A Middle High German Primer Third Edition by Joseph Wright
Now in ancient French the nom., corresponding to cantator, is chántere, but the gen. chanteór, and thus again a distinction is established of great importance for grammatical purposes.
From Chips From A German Workshop. Vol. III. Essays on Literature, Biography, and Antiquities by F. Max (Friedrich Max) Müller
Gen. Rob Bonta said after the news conference announcing the results of “Operation Protect the Vote.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said during a press conference Thursday in Riyadh.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Gen. Rob Bonta said such arrests have long been barred because they are unconstitutional and deeply disruptive to the rule of law and the rights of victims, witnesses, defendants and other parties to court proceedings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Gen. Rob Bonta’s office referred questions on the threat of litigation to Weber and Logan’s offices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
“Yeah,” said Gen. “Where are we going with the matches and candle, exactly?”
From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly
PeakMetrics, a startup that tracks online discussions, introduced a service monitoring how brands show up in outputs by gen AI chatbots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Slowinski added that ServiceNow’s gen AI product—Now Assist— surpassed $600 million in annual contract value in the fourth quarter.
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
Here are some examples of prompts from analysts and portfolio managers who are leveraging gen AI to work better and faster:
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 25, 2026
“There are thousands of group chats like this where gen z people talk like that,” he said.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2025
They had transmuted carbon into radioactive nitro gen.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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