genetics

noun, plural in form but singular in construction ge·net·ics \ jə-ˈne-tiks \

|Updated on: 28 Jul 2018

Definition of genetics

1 : a branch of biology that deals with the heredity and variation of organisms

2 : the genetic makeup and phenomena of an organism, type, group, or condition

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geneticist

play \jə-ˈne-tə-sist\ noun

Recent Examples of genetics from the Web

Among the brightest of those homegrown stars is Zhao Bowen, a Chinese science prodigy who dropped out of high school to start running a genetics lab.

— author: ben guarino, emily rauhala, william wan, Anchorage Daily News, "China challenges American dominance of science," 4 June 2018
Among the brightest of those homegrown stars is Zhao Bowen, a Chinese science prodigy who dropped out of high school to start running a genetics lab.

— ben guarino, Washington Post, "China increasingly challenges American dominance of science," 3 June 2018
Krainer, a molecular genetics professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, N.Y., had worked on the scientific underpinnings of the medicine for more than 15 years.

— jonathan saltzman — boston globe, STAT, "‘Standing on the shoulders of Spinraza,’ a startup seeks answers to insidious form of epilepsy," 18 May 2018
Since these discoveries, the field of genetics has expanded even further—all the way to our own front doors, in fact, thanks to at-home genetic tests such as 23andMe.

— amanda macmillan, Health.com, "7 Things You Need to Know Before You Try 23andMe," 25 Apr. 2018
Coral genetics is a field of increasing interest to scientists.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Coral Might Be Adjusting Its DNA to Survive Warming Oceans," 11 June 2018
Krainer, a molecular genetics professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, N.Y., had worked on the scientific underpinnings of the medicine for more than 15 years.

— jonathan saltzman — boston globe, STAT, "‘Standing on the shoulders of Spinraza,’ a startup seeks answers to insidious form of epilepsy," 18 May 2018
His father retired as a genetics professor at Northern Illinois University, also in DeKalb.

— New York Times, "Rachel Machta, James Polans," 10 June 2018
Krainer, a molecular genetics professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, N.Y., had worked on the scientific underpinnings of the medicine for more than 15 years.

— jonathan saltzman — boston globe, STAT, "‘Standing on the shoulders of Spinraza,’ a startup seeks answers to insidious form of epilepsy," 18 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'genetics.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of genetics

1905

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Other Genetics Terms

chimera, hermaphrodite, plasticity

GENETICS Defined for English Language Learners

genetics

noun

Definition of genetics for English Language Learners

: the scientific study of how genes control the characteristics of plants and animals

GENETICS Defined for Kids

genetics

noun ge·net·ics \ jə-ˈne-tiks \

Definition of genetics for Students

: the scientific study of how the characteristics of living things are controlled by genes

Medical Dictionary

genetics

noun plural but singular in construction ge·net·ics \ jə-ˈnet-iks \

medical Definition of genetics

1 a : a branch of biology that deals with the heredity and variation of organisms

b : a treatise or textbook on genetics

2 : the genetic makeup and phenomena of an organism, type, group, or condition

Learn More about genetics

See words that rhyme with genetics Spanish Central: Translation of genetics Nglish: Translation of genetics for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of genetics for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about genetics

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genetics

Definition of genetics

geneticist

Recent Examples of genetics from the Web

First Known Use of genetics

Other Genetics Terms

GENETICS Defined for English Language Learners

genetics

Definition of genetics for English Language Learners

GENETICS Defined for Kids

genetics

Definition of genetics for Students

Medical Dictionary

genetics

medical Definition of genetics

Learn More about genetics

Seen and Heard

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