as in type
one of the units into which a whole is divided on the basis of a common characteristic
the crime novel, written from the criminal's perspective, is sometimes seen as a particular species of the detective story genus
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Recent Examples of genus
This plant is often confused with heather, which is in the same plant family (Ericaceae) but heather is in the genus Calluna and tolerates more cold.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2024
While the exact species isn’t clear (the genus includes seven types), they are all considered threatened or critically endangered.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Jan. 2025
The genus includes 200 or so species of trees and shrubs found mostly in Africa, Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula.
—Franz Lidz, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2024
For example, if a butterfly like Papilio glaucus were transferred to a genus with a feminine name, the epithet glaucus (masculine form) would be adjusted to glauca to agree in gender with the new genus.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for genus 
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2024
While the exact species isn’t clear (the genus includes seven types), they are all considered threatened or critically endangered.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Jan. 2025
The genus includes 200 or so species of trees and shrubs found mostly in Africa, Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula.
—Franz Lidz, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2024
For example, if a butterfly like Papilio glaucus were transferred to a genus with a feminine name, the epithet glaucus (masculine form) would be adjusted to glauca to agree in gender with the new genus.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for genus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genus
Noun
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Across the board, those schools have the most NIL money, with the SEC No. 1 in that category.—
The Athletic College Basketball Staff,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
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In an effort to simplify its product naming — an exercise that HP also recently went through — Dell is moving away from sub-brands like XPS, Inspiron and others to a simple Dell, Dell Pro and Dell Pro Max lineup with two additional performance tiers (Plus and Premium) within each category.—
Bob O’Donnell,
USA TODAY,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Whenever a new social app is announced, there's an intense digital stampede as influencers of all kinds rush to claim territory in the new world.—
Kim Key,
PCMAG,
17 Jan. 2025
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On Thursday, January 2, Wolfgang Puck's Bar & Grill at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas found itself in hot water — and not the kind meant for cooking.—
Kevin Lynn,
Newsweek,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Nearly 50 years after the snail darter temporarily blocked the construction of a dam in Tennessee, researchers at Yale University found that the endangered species technically is not a species at all.—
Kevin Lynn,
Newsweek,
7 Jan. 2025
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Additional discoveries included a species of swamp eel that can survive for long periods on land, and an armored catfish with a squishy, bulbous nose.—
Annie Roth,
New York Times,
20 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near genus
Cite this Entry
“Genus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genus. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
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