Lamarckian

[ luh-mahr-kee-uhn ]

/ ləˈmɑr ki ən /

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adjective

of or relating to Jean de Lamarck or his theory of organic evolution.

noun

a person who holds this theory.

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Origin of Lamarckian

First recorded in 1840–50; Lamarck + -ian

Words nearby Lamarckian

La Mancha, La Manche, La Mano Nera, Lamar, Lamarck, Lamarckian, Lamarckism, La Marque, Lamartine, Lamas, lamasery

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Lamarckian in a sentence

We might as well have evolved naturally—we show all the signs of natural selection pure and simple, with no trace of Lamarckian acceleration.
How Intelligent Could Life Be Without Natural Selection? - Issue 98: Mind|Arik Kershenbaum|March 17, 2021|Nautilus
In this controversy, however, there was another string to the Lamarckian bow.
Parallel Paths|Thomas William Rolleston
A special theory of heredity, pangenesis, has been accepted by many of the Neo-Lamarckian school.
The Whence and the Whither of Man|John Mason Tyler
In so doing he is following his tendency to exclude Lamarckian explanations as far as possible.
Evolution in Modern Thought|Ernst Haeckel

The latter involve Lamarckian inheritance, which of late years has been the centre of so much controversy.
Evolution in Modern Thought|Ernst Haeckel
The three instances which we shall next consider seem to offer very serious obstacles to the Lamarckian theory.
Parallel Paths|Thomas William Rolleston

British Dictionary definitions for Lamarckian

Lamarckian

/ (lɑːˈmɑːkɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to Lamarck

noun

a supporter of Lamarckism

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