What does genetics mean?
Genetics is the branch of biology that examines genes, heredity, and the variation that occurs within and between organisms. The word can name the field itself, as in academic departments and research programs, or refer more broadly to an individual’s or population’s inherited genetic makeup. In the field, geneticists study how biological traits are transmitted, how DNA variation arises, and how genes interact with one another and with environmental conditions. Genetics has transformed medicine, agriculture, evolutionary biology, and forensic science, while also shaping public discussion of inherited disease, identity, and family history. The term is therefore both a straightforward scientific subject and a subject of wider social and personal significance. Although its principles draw on the long study of inheritance, modern genetics relies heavily on molecular techniques such as DNA sequencing and genetic testing.
nounThe branch of biology that studies genes, heredity, and genetic variation in organisms. In broader usage, genetics can refer to a person’s or population’s inherited genetic makeup.
- The branch of biology concerned with genes, heredity, and variation.
- The inherited genetic constitution or characteristics of an individual, group, or population.
"Advances in genetics have revealed how changes in particular genes can influence inherited diseases."
"The course introduces students to genetics and the principles of inheritance."
"Her genetics put her at increased risk of the condition, although environmental factors also mattered."
A separate plural form is not normally used; the noun is commonly treated as singular, especially in academic and scientific contexts.
"Genetics is the study of how traits and inherited conditions are passed from parents to offspring."
From Mendel’s peas to modern DNA sequencing, genetics turns family resemblance into a scientific language.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of genetics
Genetics combines the Greek root genos, meaning “kind,” “sort,” or “origin,” with the scientific suffix -ics. Related English words such as generation, generic, and genesis preserve the same broad root through Latin and Greek. The term emerged in the late nineteenth century in English-language scientific usage and became established as the name for the study of heredity and variation.
Related word forms
How genetics is actually used
The term is formal and scientific, but common in education, medicine, biology, and discussions of ancestry and inherited traits. In many academic contexts it takes a singular verb, as in “Genetics is the study of heredity.”