genesis

1 of 2

noun (1)

gen·​e·​sis ˈje-nə-səs How to pronounce genesis (audio)
plural geneses ˈje-nə-ˌsēz How to pronounce genesis (audio)
: the origin or coming into being of something
the genesis of a new political movement

Genesis

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the mainly narrative first book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scriptures see Bible Table

Did you know?

The traditional Greek name for the first and best-known book of the Bible is Genesis, meaning "origin". Genesis tells the stories of the creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah's ark, the Tower of Babel, Abraham and his sons, and more—the stories that explain how the world and humanity were created, as well as much about how humanity, and especially the descendants of Abraham, relate to the rest of the world. Today we use genesis to refer to the creative beginnings of much smaller things, but never unimportant ones.

Examples of genesis in a Sentence

Noun (1) a book about the genesis of the civil rights movement was present at the meeting which was later considered the genesis of the new political movement
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
All of these details can help the provider more quickly suss out the genesis of your puffy node. Erica Sloan, SELF, 30 Oct. 2024 In the midst of paying tribute to the late singer on social media, fans have also been taking a look at throwback videos of Payne’s journey to musical stardom, including his auditions for The X Factor, which saw the genesis of One Direction as a band. Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024 To be sure, the worst years of the pandemic, which provide the genesis for many of the business closings, predate Thao’s mayoral term. East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 10 Oct. 2024 While the subculture coalesced within a music scene transitioning from ’70s punk to ’80s new wave, the sensibility has no discrete genesis. Judy Berman, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for genesis 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'genesis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Latin, from Greek, from gignesthai to be born — more at kin

Noun (2)

Greek

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1604, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of genesis was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near genesis

Cite this Entry

“Genesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genesis. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

genesis

1 of 2 noun
gen·​e·​sis ˈjen-ə-səs How to pronounce genesis (audio)
plural geneses -ə-ˌsēz How to pronounce genesis (audio)
: the origin or coming into being of something

Genesis

2 of 2
: the mainly narrative first book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scriptures see bible

Medical Definition

genesis

noun
gen·​e·​sis ˈjen-ə-səs How to pronounce genesis (audio)
plural geneses -ˌsēz How to pronounce genesis (audio)
: the origin or coming into being of something : the process or mode of origin

More from Merriam-Webster on genesis

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