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  • genetic
    genetic
    adjective
    pertaining or according to genetics.
  • -genetic
    -genetic
    a suffix of adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -genesis:
Synonyms

genetic

1 American  
[juh-net-ik] / dʒəˈnɛt ɪk /
Also genetical

adjective

  1. Biology. pertaining or according to genetics.

  2. of, relating to, or produced by genes; genic.

  3. of, relating to, or influenced by geneses or origins.


-genetic 2 American  
  1. a suffix of adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -genesis:

    parthenogenetic.


genetic British  
/ dʒɪˈnɛtɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to genetics, genes, or the origin of something

"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

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of genetic

First recorded in 1825–35; gene(sis) + -tic


Explanation

Anything genetic has to do with your genes and DNA. You inherited your mom's eye color because it's genetic. Genetic traits run in families: biological families, anyway. Anything genetic is related to your DNA, the material you inherited from your biological parents. Hair color, eye color, and other physical traits are genetic, and so are some diseases. Scientists do genetic research to see how knowing what’s in your genes could help keep you well. If you're healthy, one reason is good genetics.

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Vocabulary lists containing genetic

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 Penn researchers found that TRF2 interacts with these specialized DNA structures to help maintain the genetic program that keeps muscle stem cells functioning properly.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2026

Those without known genetic or family history risk factors should still seek medical attention if they notice blood in their stool, persistent changes in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026

Working with her colleagues, she designed a study that combined genetic evidence with careful examinations of butterfly anatomy.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026

Manuscripts that have survived for hundreds of years could provide genetic evidence of livestock outbreaks that left few other records.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026

Sturtevant’s rudimentary genetic map would foreshadow the vast and elaborate efforts to map genes along the human genome in the 1990s.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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