-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
The gen. is used in combination with the comparative of adjectives, as dicker eines dūmes, thicker by the breadth of a thumb.
From A Middle High German Primer Third Edition by Joseph Wright
Duignan suggests the same etymology for Beoshelle, beos being "the Norman scribe's idea of the gen. plu."
From Beowulf An Introduction to the Study of the Poem with a Discussion of the Stories of Offa and Finn by R. W. Chambers
M. rucca f. shame 143. ruire m. a king, gen. pl. ruirech 202. rúss a blushing 143; O'Dav.
From The Triads of Ireland by Kuno Meyer
The usual abbreviations are employed for the cases, nom., gen., dat., acc., and instr.
From Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Exercise Book with Inflections, Syntax, Selections for Reading, and Glossary by C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso) Smith
Gen. Rob Bonta, whose office is helping lead the states’ challenge, hailed Talwani’s order as a crucial reprieve.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
“If they don’t figure it out,” Gen. Michael Guetlein said this summer, “there is no Golden Dome.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Gen. Richard Montgomery at Quebec City, from an 1865 history.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
The person warning George was his deputy, Gen. Chris LaNeve, whom the administration plans to submit to the Senate for confirmation but hasn’t yet, most likely because he doesn’t have the support.
From Slate ● Aug. 29, 2026
Gen. Matt read on farther down the page.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
He believes that MongoDB “has an opportunity to participate in secular trends across databases, cloud, and gen AI,” and rates the stock as a Buy with a $370 price target.
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 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
“The industry is working toward a new business model to value information in the era of gen AI,” said Dow Jones Chief Executive Almar Latour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 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
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.
