What does "genetic" mean?
Relating to genetics or genes.
Genetic
/d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪk/ adj
adj ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Relating to genetics or genes.
- Grammar: genetic is listed as adj.
- Nearest alternatives: hereditary, inherited, abiogenetic, aboriginal.
- Useful contrasts: cultural context, environmental, environmental stimuli.
- Usage evidence: In the case of language, however, it is only the ability to talk and understand that we inherit genetically; the particular language or languages that we speak are passed on to us not by genetic transmission but by cultural transmission.
How to use "genetic"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "genetic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "genetic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "genetic" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "genetic" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "genetic" is acting as adj in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "hereditary" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "genetic", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Relating to genetics or genes. not-comparable
"Plant breeding is always a numbers game.[…]The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, and individual plants are highly heterozygous and do not breed true. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better."
- 2 Caused by genes. not-comparable
- 3 Of or relating to origin (genesis). not-comparable
"All evidence tends to this conclusion, that the sun is the prime genetic agent of earthquakes and of every other pluto-dynamic impulse which acts against the crust of the planet, and breaks or elevates any of its parts."
- 4 Based on shared membership in a linguistic family. not-comparable
"Chinese has borrowed several words from English, but it does not have a genetic relationship to English."
- 5 Based on a shared membership in a religious family. not-comparable
"Guy Stroumsa (2011) proposes the use of the alternative term Abrahamic religions, emphasizing the genetic relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and their branches, for which the idea of monotheism is not always central."
Adjective
- 1 occurring among members of a family usually by heredity wordnet
- 2 of or relating to the science of genetics wordnet
- 3 pertaining to or referring to origin wordnet
- 4 of or relating to or produced by or being a gene wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"In the case of language, however, it is only the ability to talk and understand that we inherit genetically; the particular language or languages that we speak are passed on to us not by genetic transmission but by cultural transmission."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "genetic"?
Common synonyms include: hereditary, inherited, abiogenetic, aboriginal, advancing, allelic.
How do you use "genetic" in a sentence?
In the case of language, however, it is only the ability to talk and understand that we inherit genetically; the particular language or languages that we speak are passed on to us not by genetic transmission but by cultural transmission.
How do you pronounce "genetic"?
Pronounced /d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪk/.
Etymology
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.