genetics

American  

[juh-net-iks] / dʒəˈnɛt ɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. Biology. the science of heredity, dealing with resemblances and differences of related organisms resulting from the interaction of their genes and the environment.

2. the genetic properties and phenomena of an organism.

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genetics British  

/ dʒɪˈnɛtɪks /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) the branch of biology concerned with the study of heredity and variation in organisms

2. the genetic features and constitution of a single organism, species, or group

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genetics Scientific  

/ jə-nĕt′ĭks /

1. The scientific study of the principles of heredity and the variation of inherited traits among related organisms.

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genetics Cultural  

1. 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.)

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Etymology

Origin of genetics

First recorded in 1905; see genetic, -ics; term first proposed in this sense by British biologist William Bateson (1861–1926)

Compare meaning

How does genetics compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• heredity vs. genetics

Explanation

Genetics is the study of the traits people and other animals inherit from their family through DNA. Compare the size of your nose to your father's and you are dealing with genetics — but only if he's your biological father. Genetics involves studying genes — DNA — to look at how organisms evolve and are related. Scientists use genetics to prove whether genes for things like depression or intelligence exist. One of the most commonly discussed examples of genetics is what determines if a man will lose his hair: oddly, men inherit the baldness gene from their mothers, not their fathers.

Example Sentences

Their long isolation appears to have allowed them to develop unique physical traits, songs, and genetics.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

Some are already getting informal screening as their families are known to NHS genetics clinics.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

But research has also identified multiple genetic profiles and biological pathways common to autism and mood disorders, and it’s likely that both conditions are at least partially the result of family genetics.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

In an editorial published in a Japanese medical journal, Erika Hishida, a doctor at Japan’s Dokkyo Medical University, said age, body mass and genetics could be among the factors that explain the increased risk.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

It was here, in 1900, that William Bateson brought news of Mendel’s paper to the scientific world, thereby launching the era of modern genetics.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• ancestry
• lineage