eugenics
n.n. the study of improving human populations by controlling who has children. It is a very old and controversial idea that has been used to justify many terrible actions in history.
n. the study of improving the human race by selective breeding, typically involving the encouragement of reproduction among those deemed genetically superior and the prevention of reproduction among those deemed inferior.
The history of eugenics is a dark chapter in science.
Early twentieth-century eugenics policies were based on the flawed belief that certain traits could be passed down to ensure a 'better' society.
While modern genetics has advanced significantly, the ethical implications of eugenics remain a critical point of debate regarding the limits of scientific intervention in human reproduction.
Coined by Francis Galton in 1883. From ἐΰς (eǘs, “good”) + γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “breeding”), “well-bred”, “good in stock”. Parallel to Eugene. By surface analysis, eugenic + -s.