as in type
one of the units into which a whole is divided on the basis of a common characteristic
the crime novel, written from the criminal's perspective, is sometimes seen as a particular species of the detective story genus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of genus
Salmonella is a genus of bacteria that can sicken humans.
—
Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
There are more than a dozen Texas Ranger shrubs in the Leucophyllum genus, including eight-foot-tall giants and a three-foot compact type.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025
Both healthy and sick sea stars carried a ton of Vibrio bacteria—which was expected, since the genus is found all over the ocean.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Combined with flooding and leftover pools of water, these conditions created a breeding paradise for Anopheles mosquitoes—the genus responsible for spreading malaria.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genus
Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
There are more than a dozen Texas Ranger shrubs in the Leucophyllum genus, including eight-foot-tall giants and a three-foot compact type.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025
Both healthy and sick sea stars carried a ton of Vibrio bacteria—which was expected, since the genus is found all over the ocean.
—JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Combined with flooding and leftover pools of water, these conditions created a breeding paradise for Anopheles mosquitoes—the genus responsible for spreading malaria.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genus
Noun
-
In that category, which has not been considered in the past, the Little Rock School District fared better than the state, scoring one percentage point higher in all three subjects.—
Dmitry Martirosov,
Arkansas Online,
12 Nov. 2025
-
This year’s album of the year category is stacked with such nominees as Rauw Alejandro, Gloria Estefan and Carín León, but Bad Bunny remains the favorite to finally take home the gold for the first time (after four previous nominations) for his massive Debí Tirar Más Fotos.—
Cata Balzano,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Two identical spacecraft will orbit in formation to provide a first-of-its-kind 3D view of Mars' magnetosphere and upper atmosphere.—
Matthew Glasser,
ABC News,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Vacheron Constantin, for example, embarked on an ambitious project to fully remake its original American 1921 watch using the tools and techniques from the era in a one-of-a-kind piece.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The human species is no different.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
10 Nov. 2025
-
In California, gray wolves are currently protected under both the federal and state endangered species acts.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Genus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genus. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share