eugenic

American  

[yoo-jen-ik] / yuˈdʒɛn ɪk /

Also eugenical

adjective

1. of or relating to measures intended to produce a perceived improvement in the characteristics of the human species or a human population, especially through reproductive policy.

2. having inherited characteristics that are seen as favorable for the purpose of producing or reproducing perceived improvements in the human species or a human population.

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Other Word Forms

• eugenically adverb
• noneugenic adjective
• noneugenical adjective
• noneugenically adverb
• uneugenic adjective
• uneugenical adjective
• uneugenically adverb

Etymology

Origin of eugenic

First recorded in 1880–85; from Greek eugen(ḗs) “wellborn” ( eu-, -gen ) + -ic

Example Sentences

Schottenstein, an Orthodox Jew, was perplexed at the criticism that the campaign smacked of eugenics, the Nazi-embraced theory that selective reproduction can advance the human race.

From The Wall Street Journal

Before digging deeper, let’s examine the history of eugenics thinking.

From Los Angeles Times

Some critics interpreted the ads as a play on eugenics, the discredited belief that humanity could be improved through selective breeding.

From BBC

Those ads, which centered around a pun on the phrase “good genes,” were accused of promoting eugenics.

From Salon

What AE framed as playful wordplay struck a nerve with critics, who argued it echoed historic eugenics rhetoric, particularly given the ad’s focus on her physical appearance like her blond hair and blue eyes.

From Salon

Related Words

• ancestral
• hereditary
• historical