exogenous

adjective

ex·​og·​e·​nous ek-ˈsä-jə-nəs How to pronounce exogenous (audio)
1
: produced by growth from superficial tissue
exogenous roots produced by leaves
2
a
: caused by factors (such as food or a traumatic factor) or an agent (such as a disease-producing organism) from outside the organism or system
exogenous obesity
exogenous psychic depression
exogenous market fluctuations
b
: introduced from or produced outside the organism or system
specifically : not synthesized within the organism or system
exogenously adverb

Examples of exogenous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But banking on perceptions to shift naturally is foolish, if for no other reason that there is always the possibility that some exogenous event might alter our course. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 7 Sep. 2023 And, actually, regarding the war as a whole, that this is sort of one of these exogenous factors that could have a major impact on the outcome. Foreign Affairs, 17 July 2023 Photos of Pakistan’s Catastrophic Flooding For countries drowning in extreme weather, exogenous shocks, and high public debt, where will this money come from? Time, 15 Aug. 2023 The wild ride in the value of Argentine assets is deeply impacted by exogenous factors, particularly international financial conditions. Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 17 July 2023 What sets Genius Pre apart from other pre workouts is its use of exogenous ketones, which can help support ketosis and enhance fat burning. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2023 There are two major types of antioxidants: endogenous and exogenous. Cynthia Sass, Mph, Rd, Health, 4 July 2023 But every six weeks, the central bank also secretly stress tests its own policy decisions — assessing how interest rate hikes would stand up against a bevy of economic, geopolitical and other exogenous situations (think: global pandemic). Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 29 June 2023 Taking exogenous testosterone, often prescribed as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), while practicing intermittent fasting can further enhance the potential benefits. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 25 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exogenous.' 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

French exogène exogenous, from exo- + -gène (from Greek -genēs born) — more at -gen

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exogenous was in 1830

Dictionary Entries Near exogenous

Cite this Entry

“Exogenous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exogenous. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.

Medical Definition

exogenous

adjective
ex·​og·​e·​nous ek-ˈsäj-ə-nəs How to pronounce exogenous (audio)
variants also exogenic
1
: growing from or on the outside
exogenous spores
2
: caused by factors (as food or a traumatic event) or an agent (as a disease-producing organism) from outside the organism or system
exogenous obesity
exogenous depression
3
: introduced from or produced outside the organism or system
specifically : not synthesized within the organism or system compare endogenous
exogenously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on exogenous

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