genetic
adjective
pertaining or according to genetics.
genetic
1 American
[juh-net-ik]
/ dʒəˈnɛt ɪk /
Also
genetical
-genetic
2
American
genetic
British
/ dʒɪˈnɛtɪk /
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of genetic
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.
Vocabulary lists containing genetic
Genetics - Inheritance and Variation of Traits
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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National Nurses Week: Common Medical Terms
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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.
Shortly after his death, people mounted casual watching parties linked to, of all titles, “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” a 2008 rock musical-meets-Grand Guignol from “Saw” director Darren Lynn Bousman.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
Genetic tests can show your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, while other tests measure your telomeres—that’s the tip of the chromosome, whose length indicates biological age.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
Genetic analysis shows that the people buried before and after this decline were not related, indicating a major population replacement.
From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026
Genetic mutations are more pervasive than previously thought, causing cancer and other ailments.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
“It’s the symbol of the Bureau of Genetic Welfare,” she says.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
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.
