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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.

The oil giant paid the smaller company $320 million over a decade to tinker with the genetic makeup of algae to try to distill enough oil to make the venture technically viable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Scientists from Manchester are among those who have helped identify a neurodevelopmental disorder which is believed to be one of the most common genetic causes of childhood epilepsy.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

“But thanks to investigative genetic genealogy, we were able to resolve this mystery and provide some answers to everyone involved in this case.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Chitwood has invested in a company working on epigenetic reprogramming, a process that aims to restore cells to a youthful state by pulling a specific combination of genetic levers.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

By 1961, several laboratories around the world had joined the race to decipher the genetic code.

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.