genetic

genetic — adjective

1. relating to the instructions inside every living cell that are passed from paren

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

relating to the instructions inside every living cell that are passed from parents to children and control features such as eye colour, height, and the risk of certain illnesses

Example

Ritu has her mother's green eyes because of a genetic trait in the family.

collocation: genetic trait

Doctors told Adaeze that her rare heart condition has a clear genetic cause.

collocation: genetic cause

Common collocations
  • genetic trait
  • genetic disorder
  • genetic disease
  • genetic test
  • genetic makeup
  • genetic cause
  • genetic link
  • genetic mutation
Synonyms
  • hereditary

    More specific — focuses on passing through family lines rather than the cellular mechanism.

  • inherited

    Emphasises the family-transmission aspect; used for traits, wealth, or conditions received from ancestors.

  • innate

    Broader — can describe inborn qualities not necessarily tied to specific genes (e.g. 'an innate sense of rhythm').

Antonyms
  • acquired

    Describes conditions or traits developed during life rather than inherited at birth.

  • environmental

    Caused by surroundings or lifestyle rather than by genes.

Grammar Patterns

genetic + noun (trait, disorder, test, makeup)

Usage Note

This is the most common use of 'genetic', appearing frequently in medical and everyday contexts. It typically modifies nouns such as 'trait', 'disorder', 'test', 'makeup', and 'cause'. Unlike sense 2, this sense focuses on the biological material passed between generations rather than the scientific field that studies it.

Common Mistakes

She inherited a genetic disease from her mother's cooking.
She inherited a genetic disease from her mother.
Genetic diseases pass through DNA, not through lifestyle or habits.
Genetic traits cannot be changed at all.
Some genetic traits can be influenced by environment and lifestyle.
Genes interact with the environment; not everything is fixed by DNA.

2. connected with the branch of biology that studies how the characteristics of liv

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

connected with the branch of biology that studies how the characteristics of living things are passed from one generation to the next through their DNA

Example

Ada decided to study genetic engineering at university after winning the science fair.

collocation: genetic engineering

Genetic research has helped scientists understand how the immune system fights disease.

collocation: genetic research

Common collocations
  • genetic research
  • genetic engineering
  • genetic testing
  • genetic medicine
  • genetic analysis
  • genetic counselling
  • genetic screening
Synonyms
  • genomics-related

    More specific — refers to the study of genomes (the complete set of genes). More technical and less common.

  • hereditary (in academic use)

    In scientific contexts, 'hereditary' overlaps with 'genetic' but is narrower, focusing on transmission patterns rather than molecular mechanisms.

Grammar Patterns

genetic + noun (research, engineering, testing, medicine)

Usage Note

Use this sense when the topic is the scientific discipline or its practical applications (laboratory work, research studies, academic departments). Distinguish from sense 1: 'a genetic mutation' (sense 1 — the mutation itself) vs 'genetic analysis' (sense 2 — the method of study).

Common Mistakes

My father has a genetic engineering condition.
My father works in genetic engineering.
Genetic engineering is a field of science, not a medical condition.
Genetic research means studying your family tree.
Genetic research means studying DNA and how traits are passed on.
Not the same as genealogy or family history research.

3. used at the end of a word to mean 'producing' or 'causing' something — for examp

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

used at the end of a word to mean 'producing' or 'causing' something — for example, a substance that causes cancer is described as 'carcinogenic', and something that causes an allergic reaction is 'allergenic'

Example

The old factory released carcinogenic chemicals into the river near the village.

-genic meaning 'causing': carcinogenic = cancer-causing

Scientists are studying a new allergenic substance found in some household products.

Common collocations
  • carcinogenic substance
  • allergenic material
  • pathogenic bacteria
  • mutagenic agent

Grammar Patterns

[noun] + genic = producing [noun]

Usage Note

This is a combining form (also written as '-genic'), not a standalone word. It attaches to noun stems to form adjectives. Common derivatives include 'carcinogenic', 'allergenic', and 'pathogenic'. In scientific writing, many specialised forms exist such as 'mutagenic' and 'teratogenic'.

4. used at the end of a word to mean 'produced by' or 'originating from' something

4.adjectiveC1
Definition

used at the end of a word to mean 'produced by' or 'originating from' something — for example, someone who looks good in photographs is 'photogenic', and an illness caused by medical treatment is 'iatrogenic'

Example

Noor is very photogenic and always looks great in family holiday pictures.

-genic meaning 'produced by': photogenic = produced by (good in) light

The infection was iatrogenic, meaning it was caused by the hospital treatment itself.

Common collocations
  • photogenic smile
  • iatrogenic illness
  • hypoallergenic product

Grammar Patterns

[noun] + genic = originating from [noun]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 3 of this entry: '-genic' meaning 'producing' (carcinogenic) versus '-genic' meaning 'produced by' (photogenic). The direction of causation depends on context: the first part of the word names either what is produced or what does the producing.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Hereditary' and 'inherited' both refer to qualities or conditions passed through family lines, but 'hereditary' is often used in legal and medical contexts (e.g. 'a hereditary title', 'a hereditary condition'), while 'inherited' is more general and can apply to non-biological things such as property or personality traits. 'Genetic' is broader — it encompasses everything related to genes, including traits that may skip generations or arise from new mutations, not just those visibly passed from parent to child. 'Innate' refers to inborn qualities but does not require a genetic mechanism (e.g. 'an innate talent for music'). 'Congenital' is narrower: it describes conditions present at birth, whether genetic (e.g. Down syndrome) or caused by outside factors during pregnancy (e.g. foetal alcohol syndrome). For example: 'Her blue eyes are genetic, not just inherited from a specific parent.' 'His deafness was congenital but not hereditary — it was caused by an infection during pregnancy.'

hereditaryinheritedinnate ↗congenital

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • genetic makeup
  • genetic code
  • genetic material
  • genetic diversity

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'genetic' comes from the Greek 'genetikos', meaning 'of or relating to origin or birth', which in turn comes from 'genesis' (origin, creation) and the root 'gignesthai' (to be born). It entered English in the early 19th century, first used in the broad sense of 'relating to origins'. Its modern biological meaning — relating to genes and heredity — emerged in the early 1900s alongside the rediscovery of Gregor Mendel's work on inheritance and the coining of the word 'gene' by Danish botanist Wilhelm Johannsen in 1909.