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biological determinism

American  
[bahy-uh-loj-i-kuhl di-tur-muh-niz-uhm] / ˈbaɪ ə lɒdʒ ɪ kəl dɪˈtɜr mə nɪz əm /

noun

  1. Sociology. the doctrine that considers genes or other inborn physical features to be the determining factor in the development of an individual or group.


Etymology

Origin of biological determinism

First recorded in 1895–1900

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:

Taken together, these events suggest that biological determinism has permeated the ivory tower of academia more than many realize.

From Salon Jun. 5, 2022

Still, honest acknowledgement of the presence of biological determinism and conspiratorial thinking in youth communities might help counter it.

From Slate May 19, 2022

This is where Kosinski’s work strays into biological determinism.

From The Guardian Jul. 7, 2018

As English professor Valerie Rohy explains in her book “Lost Causes,” biological determinism emerged in part as an answer to homophobic ideas about gay men and women falling prey to seductive cultural and communal forces.

From Washington Post Jun. 27, 2018

I loathe biological determinism, too, and so I must defend Gould against charges that he was a fact-fudging "charlatan," as the anthropologist Ralph Holloway of Columbia University put it.

From Scientific American Jun. 24, 2011

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