natural selection

noun

: a natural process that results in the survival and reproductive success of individuals or groups best adjusted to their environment and that leads to the perpetuation of genetic qualities best suited to that particular environment

Examples of natural selection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The most famous contributor to this scientific history is Charles Darwin, best known for his theory of evolution by means of natural selection, less known for his work on the climbing abilities of plants. —Andrés Muedano, JSTOR Daily, 25 Mar. 2026

Then there's evolutionary programming, which is a class of optimization algorithms that take their cues from natural selection. —Paul Sutter, Space.com, 22 Mar. 2026

That basic story traces back at least to Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who developed the theory of natural selection. —Lilia Goncharova, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026

Because of this, healthy aging isn’t something natural selection can select for—not enough animals live long enough for healthy aging traits to confer an advantage to their species’ survival. —Mallory Locklear, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for natural selection

• abjection
• advection
• affection
• bijection
• bisection
• collection
• complexion
• confection
• connection
• connexion
• convection
• correction

Kids Definition

natural selection

noun

: a natural process in which individuals or groups best adapted to the conditions under which they live survive and produce young and poorly adapted forms are eliminated

Medical Definition

natural selection

noun

: a natural process that results in the survival and reproductive success of individuals or groups best adjusted to their environment and that leads to the perpetuation of genetic qualities best suited to that particular environment