Word
genetically
Phoneticsge·net·i·cal·ly
US/dʒəˈnɛtɪkɫi/
UK/dʒɛnˈɛtɪkli/
Definitions
01biological inheritance
adv. in a way that relates to genes or the DNA you get from your parents.
adv. in a manner relating to genes, heredity, or the study of genetics.
“Some people are genetically more likely to have blue eyes than others.”
“Researchers are investigating whether certain populations are genetically predisposed to these metabolic conditions due to long-term environmental adaptations.”
Academic
Usage
Often used to modify adjectives like 'modified', 'predisposed', or 'encoded'.
Synonyms
02origin or development
adv. relating to how something started or developed over time.
adv. relating to the origin, historical development, or causal antecedents of a phenomenon.
“The two different styles of music are genetically related through a common ancestor.”
“The essay argues that these legal concepts are genetically linked to Roman law, despite their modern appearance.”
Academic · Formal
Teaching tip
This is a figurative use; it treats the history of an idea or object like biological DNA.
Synonyms
03language families
adv. describing languages that come from the same original language.
adv. relating to the relationship between languages that descend from a common proto-language.
“English and German are genetically related because they both come from an older Germanic language.”
“Comparative linguists use specific phonetic markers to prove that these two language groups are genetically related rather than just sharing borrowed vocabulary.”
Technical · Academic
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Rather than focus on treating human symptoms, they wanted to see whether dogs could be genetically edited to stop producing the allergen altogether.” “To identify the brain regions responsible for these effects, the team used genetically engineered mice in which GIPR had been selectively removed from specific areas.” Etymology
From genetic + -ally or genetical + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/genetically