dysgenic
adjective
dys·gen·ic
(ˌ)dis-ˈje-nik 
1
: tending to promote survival of or reproduction by less well-adapted individuals (such as the weak or diseased) especially at the expense of well-adapted individuals (such as the strong or healthy)
the dysgenic effect of war
2
: biologically defective or deficient
Examples of dysgenic in a Sentence
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Such zones will be prevalent for traits that involve more complicated epistatic interactions, perhaps accounting for the dysgenic effects observed in F1s.
—
Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2010
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Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2010
Cite this Entry
“Dysgenic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dysgenic. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
dysgenic
adjective
dys·gen·ic
variants
also disgenic
1
: tending to promote survival of or reproduction by less well-adapted individuals (as the weak or diseased) especially at the expense of well-adapted individuals (as the strong or healthy)
the dysgenic effect of war
2
: biologically defective or deficient
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