introgression

1 of 2

noun (1)

in·​tro·​gres·​sion ˌin-trə-ˈgre-shən 

: the entry or introduction of a gene from one gene complex into another (as by hybridization)

introgressant

ˌin-trə-ˈgre-sᵊnt 

adjective or noun

introgressive

ˌin-trə-ˈgre-siv 

adjective

introgressant

2 of 2

noun (2)

in·​tro·​gres·​sant

ˌin‧trəˈgresᵊnt, 

-trō-

plural -s

: an individual resulting from and exhibiting evidence of introgression

introgressant

" 

adjective

Examples of introgression in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In a 2025 study published in npj Biological Timing and Sleep, researchers found genomic evidence of adaptive introgression. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026

The ancestral connection between wolves and dogs is due to a process called introgression, the researchers said. — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 26 Nov. 2025

Limits of long-term selection against Neandertal introgression Jack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. — Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025

These hybrid zones are often quite stable over time, with insignificant introgression, or breeding back, to the parent populations. — Richard Pallardy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

intro- + -gression (as in regression)

Noun (2)

introgression + -ant entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1938, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for introgression

• decompression
• dispossession
• indiscretion
• intercession
• nonaggression
• prepossession
• recompression
• repossession
• retrocession
• retrogression
• supersession
• accession