genus

noun

ge·​nus ˈjē-nəs  ˈje- 

plural genera ˈje-nə-rə  also genuses

1

: a class, kind, or group marked by common characteristics or by one common characteristic

specifically : a category of biological classification ranking between the family and the species, comprising structurally or phylogenetically (see phylogenetic sense 2) related species or an isolated species exhibiting unusual differentiation, and being designated by a Latin or latinized capitalized singular noun

2

: a class of objects divided into several subordinate species

Synonyms

• type
• category
• kind
• species

Examples of genus in a Sentence

the crime novel, written from the criminal's perspective, is sometimes seen as a particular species of the detective story genus

Recent Examples on the Web

Beetles in the genus Phyllophaga are known as June bugs. —Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

The genus Amelanchier includes several deciduous trees native to North America. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 June 2025

The host of the feast was a member of the genus Amelanchier, which encompasses more than twenty species of deciduous shrubs and small trees widely known as juneberry, serviceberry, shadbush, or saskatoon. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 27 June 2025

The closest relatives of the Fijian iguanas turned out to be desert species of the genus Dipsosaurus that live in the southwestern United States and Mexico. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin gener-, genus birth, race, kind — more at kin

First Known Use

1551, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing genus

• form genus
• type genus

Rhymes for genus

• cleanness
• freeness
• minas
• penis
• venous
• venus
• arteriovenous
• dominus
• fraxinus
• lupinus
• ricinus
• silenus

Kids Definition

genus

noun

ge·​nus ˈjē-nəs 

plural genera ˈjen-ə-rə 

: a category of classification in biology that ranks between the family and the species, contains related species, and is named by a capitalized noun formed in Latin

Medical Definition

genus

noun

ge·​nus ˈjē-nəs  ˈjen-əs 

plural genera ˈjen-ə-rə 

: a class, kind, or group marked by common characteristics or by one common characteristic

specifically : a category of biological classification ranking between the family and the species, comprising structurally or phylogenetically related species or an isolated species exhibiting unusual differentiation, and designated by a Latin or latinized capitalized singular noun