polygenism

[puh-lij-uh-niz-uh m]

noun

the theory that the human race has descended from two or more ancestral types.

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Origin of polygenism

First recorded in 1875–80; poly- + -gen(y) + -ism

Related formspo·lyg·e·nist, noun, adjectivepo·lyg·e·nis·tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018