phenotype

American  

[fee-nuh-tahyp] / ˈfi nəˌtaɪp /

noun

Genetics.

1. the observable constitution of an organism.

2. the appearance of an organism resulting from the interaction of the genotype and the environment.

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phenotype British  

/ ˌfiːnəʊˈtɪpɪk, ˈfiːnəʊˌtaɪp /

noun

1. the physical and biochemical characteristics of an organism as determined by the interaction of its genetic constitution and the environment Compare genotype

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phenotype Scientific  

/ fē′nə-tīp′ /

1. The physical appearance of an organism as distinguished from its genetic makeup. The phenotype of an organism depends on which genes are dominant and on the interaction between genes and environment.

2. Compare genotype

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phenotype Cultural  

1. The outward appearance of an organism; the expression of a genotype in the form of traits that can be seen and measured, such as hair or eye color.

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Other Word Forms

• phenotypic adjective
• phenotypical adjective
• phenotypically adverb

Etymology

Origin of phenotype

< German Phänotypus (1909); pheno-, -type

Compare meaning

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

• genotype vs. phenotype

Example Sentences

The finding, the authors said, is consistent with the "domestication syndrome phenotype".

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

Introduced by our mutual friends, she was pitched to me as “tall and blond, with curly hair,” a historically winning phenotype for me, even if that “blond” mention was an elaborate brunette farce.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2024

By phenotype, Sackton means the actual expression of that trait, like having flippers or engaging in gaze following, as opposed to its genotype, meaning the genetic makeup that results in that trait.

From Salon • Sep. 13, 2024

"These can push cells to the brink of exhaustion and create an immunologic phenotype that is very, very often seen as a hallmark of progressive interstitial lung disease, or fibrosis of the lung."

From Science Daily • May 9, 2024

How was the set of genetic instructions, the genotype, translated into the actual physical manifestations, the phenotype, of an organism?

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee