genus

noun ge·nus \ ˈjē-nəs , ˈje- \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of genus

plural genera play \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 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

See genus defined for English-language learners

See genus defined for kids

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 of genus from the Web

Today’s fascinator is nothing like a scarf; taxonomically, milliners place them under the genus of hats.

— laura jacobs, Vanities, "A Brief History of Fascinators, the Haiku of Hats," 9 May 2018
The genus Megatherium is widespread, but M. americanum is known mainly from Argentina.

— Smithsonian, "How Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Evolved," 8 May 2018
Is clumping bamboo really considered not invasive or is that just an industry claim? How long can a 3 ½ foot buffer for clumping bamboo be considered to last for clumping bamboo of genus Fargesia?

— OregonLive.com, "Is clumping bamboo really not invasive? If not slugs, 'what is eating my perennials?' Ask an expert," 5 May 2018
Peonies, flowering plants in the genus Paeonia, usually appear only for a few weeks in May and June.

— kelly conaboy, The Cut, "Today Is the Perfect Day to Buy Peonies," 2 May 2018
Azaleas and rhododendrons are common names used for a very large genus of plants: Rhododendron.

— tim johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Growing azaleas and rhododendrons is tricky. Choosing the right cultivar can help.," 1 May 2018
In Page’s lab, upper-case Cannabis refers to the genus and lower-case refers to the plant.

— angela chen, The Verge, "Why it can be okay to call it ‘marijuana’ instead of ‘cannabis’," 19 Apr. 2018
Further work will determine whether the team actually has a T. rex on their hands, or possibly a Nanotyrannus, a tiny genus of tyrannosaur that's a matter of scientific debate.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Is This Fossil a Baby T. Rex or a Controversial ‘Nano’ Dinosaur?," 30 Mar. 2018
Members of the genus Helleborus are generally evergreen herbaceous perennials that hail from eastern Europe and western Asia.

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "It's opening weekend at Yew Dell - which means its spring, y'all!," 30 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of genus

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1551

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

genus Synonyms

Synonyms

bracket, category, class, classification, division, family, grade, group, kind, league, order, rank(s), rubric, set, species, tier, type;

branch, section, speciality, specialty, subclass, subdivision, subgroup, subspecies, variety;

breed, race;

generation;

heading, label, title;

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

GENUS Defined for English Language Learners

genus

noun

Definition of genus for English Language Learners

biology : a group of related animals or plants that includes several or many different species

GENUS Defined for Kids

genus

noun ge·nus \ ˈjē-nəs \

Definition of genus for Students

plural genera \ˈje-nə-rə\

: a group of related living things (as plants or animals) that ranks below the family in scientific classification and is made up of one or more species

Medical Dictionary

genus

noun ge·nus \ ˈjē-nəs , ˈjen-əs \

medical Definition of genus

plural genera play \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