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polygenesis

American  
[pol-ee-jen-uh-sis] / ˌpɒl iˈdʒɛn ə sɪs /

noun

Biology, Anthropology.

  1. origin from more than one ancestral species or line.

polygenesis British  
/ ˌpɒlɪdʒɪˈnɛtɪk, ˌpɒlɪˈdʒɛnɪsɪs /

noun

  1. biology evolution of a polyphyletic organism or group

  2. the hypothetical descent of the different races of man from different ultimate ancestors

"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

Other Word Forms

  • polygenetic adjective
  • polygenetically adverb

Etymology

Origin of polygenesis

First recorded in 1860–65; poly- + -genesis

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.

In Episode 7, Rebecca implied that Samuel Cartwright didn’t support the theory of polygenesis.

From Slate • Sep. 22, 2015

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.