genetic
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
relating to genes or the study of how traits are passed from parents to children.
relating to genetics or the biological mechanisms of heredity.
Simple“Scientists are doing genetic research to understand why some people have blue eyes.”
In context“The researchers identified a specific genetic marker that appears to correlate with a higher resistance to certain types of viral infections.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
describes a quality or disease that you are born with because of your parents' genes.
determined or caused by genes; inherited rather than acquired through environmental factors.
Simple“Color blindness is a genetic condition that is more common in men.”
In context“The patient's family history suggested a genetic predisposition to heart disease, prompting the doctor to recommend earlier screening.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
describes languages that come from the same original language.
relating to the historical relationship between languages that share a common ancestor.
Simple“English and German have a genetic relationship because they both come from an older language.”
In context“The genetic classification of these indigenous languages remains a subject of intense debate among historical linguists due to the lack of written records.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
relating to the beginning or the way something started to develop.
relating to the origin, creation, or historical development of something.
Simple“The book explains the genetic history of the city from its first small buildings.”
In context“The essay provides a genetic account of the movement, tracing its philosophical roots back to the early eighteenth century.”
Synonyms
Usage genetic material · genetic evidence · genetic code
Coined from genesis, similarly to antithesis, antithetic. Reflects Ancient Greek γενετικός (genetikós), from γένεσις (génesis) + -κός (-kós). Ultimately from Ancient Greek γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “I come into being”). By surface analysis, gene + -tic or gen(esis) + -etic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.