Lamarckism

noun

La·​marck·​ism lə-ˈmär-ˌki-zəm How to pronounce Lamarckism (audio)
: a theory of organic evolution asserting that environmental changes cause structural changes in animals and plants that are transmitted to offspring
Lamarckian adjective

Examples of Lamarckism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Historically, though, there was an alternative theory: Lamarckism, named for Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, the nineteenth-century Frenchman who was the first person to articulate the idea that organisms evolve. Sarah Richardson, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Lamarckism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

J.-B. de Monet de Lamarck

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Lamarckism was in 1884

Dictionary Entries Near Lamarckism

Cite this Entry

“Lamarckism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Lamarckism. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Lamarckism

noun
La·​marck·​ism lə-ˈmär-ˌkiz-əm How to pronounce Lamarckism (audio)
: a theory of evolution holding that changes in the environment cause changes in the structure of animals and plants that are passed on to offspring
Lamarckian
-kē-ən
adjective

Medical Definition

Lamarckism

noun
La·​marck·​ism lə-ˈmär-ˌkiz-əm How to pronounce Lamarckism (audio)
: a theory of organic evolution asserting that environmental changes cause structural changes in animals and plants that are transmitted to offspring

More from Merriam-Webster on Lamarckism

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!