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natural selection
noun
: a natural process that results in the survival and reproductive success of individuals or groups best adjusted to their environment and that leads to the perpetuation of genetic qualities best suited to that particular environment
Examples of natural selection in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Usually, patterns of natural selection take a long time to emerge.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
After 300 days of growth and natural selection in the lab, the minimal cells could successfully compete against the ancestral bacteria from which they were derived.
—Quanta Magazine, 19 Dec. 2023
Essentially, instead of the typical slow crawl of natural selection, snakes experienced many small changes in quick succession.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024
Despite that extreme initial genetic bottleneck, over the course of just 10 years, the insects started re-diversifying and adapting to their foreign habitat via natural selection, according to the research.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
Those mutations can affect how well the germ cells grow and produce successful eggs or sperm, which puts them in competition with respect to natural selection.
—Quanta Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024
Those range from anatomical to metabolic changes, and can stem from generations of natural selection or simply the short-term effects of acclimatization.
—Max G. Levy, WIRED, 6 Jan. 2024
This introduced Darwinian natural selection to his idea of the cosmos: Whether or not a particular kind of universe proliferates depends on its fitness.
—Adam Frank, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2023
With its potent defensive toxins, the toad has crafted a near-perfect deterrent, yet the relentless march of natural selection empowers certain predators to find and exploit a critical weakness.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'natural selection.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1842, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of natural selection was
in 1842
Dictionary Entries Near natural selection
Cite this Entry
“Natural selection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural%20selection. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.
Kids Definition
natural selection
noun
: a natural process in which individuals or groups best adapted to the conditions under which they live survive and produce young and poorly adapted forms are eliminated
Medical Definition
natural selection
noun
: a natural process that results in the survival and reproductive success of individuals or groups best adjusted to their environment and that leads to the perpetuation of genetic qualities best suited to that particular environment
More from Merriam-Webster on natural selection
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about natural selection
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