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genus

n.
US //ˈdʒinəs// UK //dʒˈɛnəs// genus
  1. 1 biological classification (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    a group of animals or plants that are very similar to each other. It is the first part of a living thing's scientific name.

    a taxonomic category ranking below a family and above a species and generally consisting of structurally or phylogenetically related species.

    Example

    The lion and the tiger both belong to the same genus, which is called Panthera.

    Example

    In binomial nomenclature, the first name identifies the genus to which the species belongs, while the second name identifies the specific species within that group.

    Usage

    The genus name is always capitalized and italicized in scientific writing.
  2. 2 a general type (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal Academic

    a general class or kind of something that can be divided into smaller groups.

    a class of objects or concepts divided into several subordinate species; a group with common attributes.

    Example

    The professor argued that this specific problem belongs to a broader genus of social issues.

    Example

    The philosopher attempted to define the genus of the concept before moving on to the specific differences that distinguish its various species.
  3. 3 Ancient Greek music (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Archaic Music

    a specific way of tuning or arranging notes in Ancient Greek music.

    any of the three types of tuning or intonation used within an Ancient Greek tetrachord: diatonic, chromatic, or enharmonic.

    Example

    The musician studied how the chromatic genus was used in ancient songs.

    Example

    The theorist explained that each genus of the tetrachord offered a distinct melodic character, though the outer notes remained fixed in pitch.

Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os Latin genusbor. English genus Borrowed from Latin genus (“birth, origin, a race, sort, kind”) from the root gen- in Latin gignō (“to beget, produce”). Doublet of gender and genre, further related to kin.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Last updated June 20, 2026