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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

  • genetically adverb
  • hypergenetic adjective
  • hypergenetical adjective
  • hypergenetically adverb
  • hypergeneticalness noun
  • nongenetic adjective
  • nongenetical adjective
  • nongenetically adverb

Etymology

Origin of genetic

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

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.

He supplements his income by breeding: In the opening chapter, Muthammai, a woman with a genetic defect, gives birth to her 18th child.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

They added it could "change conservation forever", as until now they had not held a complete genetic reference for Barbary macaques.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Rather, Soleno’s drug, which received U.S. regulatory approval in March 2025, targets patients as young as 4 years old living with a very specific genetic disorder that’s linked to obesity.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Neurocrine already markets Crenessity, an oral CRF1 receptor antagonist used to treat congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which is a collection of genetic disorders affecting the adrenal glands.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

The basic alphabet of the genetic code was complete.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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.