What does "genetic" mean?

1. (related to genes) relating to genes or the study of how traits are passed from parents to children. 2. (caused by genes) describes a quality or disease that you are born with because of your parents' genes. 3. (language families) describes languages that come from the same original language. 4. (origin or development) relating to the beginning or the way something started to develop.

genetic — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01related to genes

B2 · Upper Intermediate Science

adj. relating to genes or the study of how traits are passed from parents to children.

adj. relating to genetics or the biological mechanisms of heredity.

“Scientists are doing genetic research to understand why some people have blue eyes.”

“The researchers identified a specific genetic marker that appears to correlate with a higher resistance to certain types of viral infections.”

Synonyms

hereditary biological

Antonyms

environmental acquired

02caused by genes

B2 · Upper Intermediate Medicine

adj. describes a quality or disease that you are born with because of your parents' genes.

adj. determined or caused by genes; inherited rather than acquired through environmental factors.

“Color blindness is a genetic condition that is more common in men.”

“The patient's family history suggested a genetic predisposition to heart disease, prompting the doctor to recommend earlier screening.”

Synonyms

inherited innate

Antonyms

acquired

03language families

C1 · Advanced Linguistics Academic · Technical

adj. describes languages that come from the same original language.

adj. relating to the historical relationship between languages that share a common ancestor.

“English and German have a genetic relationship because they both come from an older language.”

“The genetic classification of these indigenous languages remains a subject of intense debate among historical linguists due to the lack of written records.”

Synonyms

genealogical

04origin or development

C2 · Proficiency Academic · Formal

adj. relating to the beginning or the way something started to develop.

adj. relating to the origin, creation, or historical development of something.

“The book explains the genetic history of the city from its first small buildings.”

“The essay provides a genetic account of the movement, tracing its philosophical roots back to the early eighteenth century.”

Synonyms

historical developmental

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “genetic” in context.

Noun

01. genetic variation

“Genetic variation within a population is essential for the process of evolution.”

adj + noun

02. genetic disorder

“Cystic fibrosis is a common genetic disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system.”

adj + noun

03. genetic engineering

“Genetic engineering has allowed farmers to grow crops that are resistant to pests.”

adj + noun

04. genetic makeup

“Each individual has a unique genetic makeup that influences their physical characteristics.”

adj + noun

05. genetic modification

“There is ongoing debate regarding the safety and ethics of genetic modification in food.”

adj + noun

06. genetic material

07. genetic evidence

08. genetic code

09. genetic information

10. genetic instructions

11. genetic data

12. genetic analysis

“The genetic code of the phage is around 5,400 base pairs (letters) long.”

BBC News 6 Aug 2026

“In Covid, the letter being delivered was a snippet of genetic code from the Covid virus.”

BBC News 13 Jul 2026

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.

NOUN

ADJECTIVE

genetic(B2)

ADVERB