definitions

genetics

[ juh-net-iks ]
/ dʒəˈnɛt ɪks /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR genetics ON THESAURUS.COM

noun (used with a singular verb)

Biology. the science of heredity, dealing with resemblances and differences of related organisms resulting from the interaction of their genes and the environment.
the genetic properties and phenomena of an organism.

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RELATED WORDS

lineage, ancestry, horticulture, ecology, anatomy, cytology, phytology, pomology, taxonomy, morphology, pathology, physiology, division, dissection, medicine, analysis, investigation, examination, diagnosis, inquiry

Nearby words

genetic screening, genetic testing, genetically modified, genetically modified organism, geneticist, genetics, genetotrophic, geneva, geneva bands, geneva convention, geneva conventions

Origin of genetics

see genetic, -ics; term first proposed in this sense by British biologist William Bateson (1861–1926) in 1905
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for genetics

British Dictionary definitions for genetics

genetics

/ (dʒɪˈnɛtɪks) /

noun

(functioning as singular) the branch of biology concerned with the study of heredity and variation in organisms
the genetic features and constitution of a single organism, species, or group
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

Medicine definitions for genetics

genetics

[ jə-nĕt′ĭks ]

n.

The branch of biology that deals with heredity, especially the mechanisms of hereditary transmission and the variation of inherited traits among similar or related organisms.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for genetics

genetics

[ jə-nĕt′ĭks ]

The scientific study of the principles of heredity and the variation of inherited traits among related organisms.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Culture definitions for genetics

genetics

The study of heredity, or how the characteristics of living things are transmitted from one generation to the next. Every living thing contains the genetic material that makes up DNA molecules. This material is passed on when organisms reproduce. The basic unit of heredity is the gene. (See chromosomes; dominant trait; genetic code; Gregor Mendel; recessive trait; and sexual reproduction.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.