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; 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

Olympics and beyond will be determined by a one-time genetics test through saliva, a cheek swab or a blood sample.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Students have received less rigorous preclinical education in genetics, biochemistry and epidemiology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Otherwise known as the Epstein files, this “library” is laden with crudity, eye-piercing typos, and rants about genetics.

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026

Ph.D., co-director of the cancer genetics and epigenetics program at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and co-senior author of the study.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2026

The second reconciliation—between genetics and evolution—required more than mathematical modeling; it hinged on experimental data.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• ancestry
• lineage