genus

noun ge·nus \ ˈjē-nəs , ˈje- \

Updated on: 15 Apr 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

There are two kinds of Mexican sunflower, both of which have spectacular flowers and both in the genus Tithonia.

— nan sterman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "April in the garden," 5 Apr. 2018
Distemper can affect a number of animals that fall under the canine genus, such as skunks, ferrets, bears, and yes, raccoons.

— brandon patterson, Detroit Free Press, "'Zombie-like' raccoons are terrifying Ohio residents," 5 Apr. 2018
Once in the genus Ligularia, this plant is now classified as Falfurgium japonicum cv.

— neil sperry, star-telegram, "Shady spots are like the Goldilocks of gardening. Here, four plants that are just right | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 30 Mar. 2018
Depending on what taxonomist one follows, there are somewhere between 12 and about 30 species in the genus Helleborus.

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "When you see hellebore blooms in your garden, you know spring is here," 16 Mar. 2018
But the parasites, microbial species of the genus Plasmodium, live alternately in animals and mosquitoes.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "New and common malaria resistance trait identified in Scripps Research-led study," 22 Mar. 2018
Marijuana plants are also in the cannabis genus, but they are bred and cultivated to maximize THC content, which can be as high as 35 percent.

— ruth brown and sven berg, idahostatesman, "Sandpoint shop has sold CBD oil since May. Garden City store waits on a permit. | Idaho Statesman," 17 Mar. 2018
Lastly, the company reports unidentified Pseudomonas species and unidentified species in the Acidovorax genus.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Meet “raw” water—ludicrously priced unfiltered water with random bacteria," 3 Jan. 2018
The genus name Prunus is from the Latin, meaning plum or cherry.

— earl nickel, San Francisco Chronicle, "Ornamental cherry trees bring a waterfall of blooms," 23 Feb. 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