genesis

1 of 2

noun (1)

gen·​e·​sis ˈje-nə-səs How to pronounce genesis (audio)
plural geneses ˈje-nə-ˌsēz How to pronounce genesis (audio)
: 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.

Example Sentences

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
But despite the solo genesis, Sellers ended up turning to several other collaborators as the album progressed. Annie Zaleski, Chron, 24 May 2023 Although the chain has plenty of gridiron connections, what with Brees’ ownership and franchisees such as Clemson University football coach Dabo Swinney and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Walk-On’s has its genesis in Louisiana State University basketball. Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 12 May 2023 So, what was the genesis of the idea behind Fever-Tree? Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023 This proves the series’ strongest hour, with rap pioneers DMC, KRS-One and Chuck D recounting the genesis of the culture. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2023 Explaining the genesis of this movement is a topic for another article, but one thing that can be said for certain is that Internet culture played a major role. Billboard Japan, Billboard, 4 Aug. 2022 Further details, including the cover design, are still to come, but Babalola answered some of the EW's questions about her writing process, the success of Honey & Spice, and what prompted the genesis of this sequel. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 19 July 2022 The original genesis of this film came from me wanting to look more deeply at religions. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2023 Chiara Mastroianni, the actor and daughter of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni, entered the ceremony singing a song in Italian and made a speech about the genesis of the festival, which was created on the eve of the World War II to fight back rampant fascism. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 16 May 2023 See More

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of genesis was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near genesis

Cite this Entry

“Genesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genesis. Accessed 1 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

genesis

1 of 2 noun
gen·​e·​sis ˈjen-ə-səs How to pronounce genesis (audio)
plural geneses -ə-ˌsēz How to pronounce genesis (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce genesis (audio)
plural geneses -ˌsēz How to pronounce genesis (audio)
: the origin or coming into being of something : the process or mode of origin

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