genesis

1 of 2

noun (1)

gen·​e·​sis ˈje-nə-səs 

plural geneses ˈje-nə-ˌsēz 

: the origin or coming into being of something

the genesis of a new political movement

Genesis

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the mainly narrative first book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scriptures see Bible Table

Did you know?

The traditional Greek name for the first and best-known book of the Bible is Genesis, meaning "origin". Genesis tells the stories of the creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah's ark, the Tower of Babel, Abraham and his sons, and more—the stories that explain how the world and humanity were created, as well as much about how humanity, and especially the descendants of Abraham, relate to the rest of the world. Today we use genesis to refer to the creative beginnings of much smaller things, but never unimportant ones.

Synonyms of genesis

Noun (1)

• beginning
• inception
• onset
• start
• commencement
• alpha
• launch

Examples of genesis in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a book about the genesis of the civil rights movement

was present at the meeting which was later considered the genesis of the new political movement

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Many tiki fans cite a visit to the Tiki Room at Disneyland as the genesis of their obsession. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026

Correspondent Conor Knighton looks into the genesis and global impact of John Denver's first big hit; and with country star Brad Paisley about the special pull the song has for him. — David Morgan, CBS News, 10 July 2026

That’s the genesis of this body of work, and these all relate to that Hudson River School series of the late 1950s and early 1960s. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 8 July 2026

There is very little mystery about the genesis of these riches. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Latin, from Greek, from gignesthai to be born — more at kin

Noun (2)

Greek

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1604, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for genesis

• venosus
• agenesis
• dysgenesis
• oogenesis
• angiogenesis
• atherogenesis
• carcinogenesis
• embryogenesis
• gametogenesis
• organogenesis
• osteogenesis
• parthenogenesis

Kids Definition

genesis

1 of 2 noun

gen·​e·​sis ˈjen-ə-səs 

plural geneses -ə-ˌsēz 

: the origin or coming into being of something

Genesis

2 of 2

: the mainly narrative first book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scriptures see bible

Medical Definition

genesis

noun

gen·​e·​sis ˈjen-ə-səs 

plural geneses -ˌsēz 

: the origin or coming into being of something : the process or mode of origin