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

More recently, researchers in Germany have investigated the genetics of female pattern hair loss, which typically involves hair loss at the top of the head.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

These principles have formed the foundation of modern genetics.

From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 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

Since our machinist needed at least three days merely to turn out the more simple phosphorus atoms, I went back to Clare after lunch to hammer out the final draft of my genetics manuscript.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• ancestry
• lineage