endogenous
Americanadjective
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proceeding from within; derived internally.
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Biology. growing or developing from within; originating within.
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Pathology. (of a disease) resulting from conditions within the organism rather than externally caused.
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Biochemistry. pertaining to the metabolism of nitrogenous elements of cells and tissues.
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Geology. endogenetic.
adjective
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biology developing or originating within an organism or part of an organism
endogenous rhythms
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having no apparent external cause
endogenous depression
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of endogenous
Explanation
If your doctor says your sickness is endogenous, he means that whatever's wrong with you went wrong inside your body, and wasn't caused by anything you can catch, like a virus. Endogenous is a fancy term for anything that originates internally. You're most likely to see the word endogenous when you're dealing with biology, but it can mean "coming from within" in other senses too. Use it for anything that originates inside a system. The revolution in your school was endogenous, even though the principal, always in denial, chose to blame it on outside rabble-rousers.
Vocabulary lists containing endogenous
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We now have shocks that unleash endogenous instabilities that trigger new shocks,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Blood concentrations of endogenous opioids increased after the program.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
In patients who already produce normal or elevated levels of endogenous GLP-1, flooding those same receptors with long-acting agonists may push a finely tuned system past its adaptive range.
From Slate ● Mar. 22, 2026
Economists after Solow, particularly Robert Lucas and Paul Romer, had models of economic growth with endogenous technological change.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2025
In the process of transformation the increased protoplasm of the epithelia first exhibits shining homogeneous lumps, which, after an intermediate stage of vacuolation, undergo an endogenous metamorphosis into nucleated bodies with a reticulum in each.
From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
