dysgenic

adjective

dys·​gen·​ic (ˌ)dis-ˈje-nik 

1

: tending to promote survival of or reproduction by less well-adapted individuals (such as the weak or diseased) especially at the expense of well-adapted individuals (such as the strong or healthy)

the dysgenic effect of war

2

: biologically defective or deficient

Examples of dysgenic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Such zones will be prevalent for traits that involve more complicated epistatic interactions, perhaps accounting for the dysgenic effects observed in F1s. — Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2010

Word History

Etymology

dys- + -genic

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dysgenic

• asthenic
• eugenic
• hellenic
• myasthenic
• naphthenic
• transgenic
• allergenic
• androgenic
• antigenic
• authigenic
• autogenic
• biogenic

Medical Definition

dysgenic

adjective

dys·​gen·​ic

variants also disgenic

(ˈ)dis-ˈjen-ik 

1

: tending to promote survival of or reproduction by less well-adapted individuals (as the weak or diseased) especially at the expense of well-adapted individuals (as the strong or healthy)

the dysgenic effect of war

2

: biologically defective or deficient