hybrid

1 of 2

noun

hy·​brid ˈhī-brəd How to pronounce hybrid (audio)
1
: an offspring of two animals or plants of different subspecies, breeds, varieties, species, or genera
a hybrid of two roses
2
: a person whose background is a blend of two diverse cultures or traditions
3
a
: something heterogeneous in origin or composition : composite
hybrids of complementary DNA and RNA strands
a hybrid of medieval and Renaissance styles
b
: something (such as a power plant, vehicle, or electronic circuit) that has two different types of components performing essentially the same function
drives a hybrid that gets really good mileage
hybridism noun
hybridity noun

hybrid

2 of 2

adjective

1
: relating to or produced from parents of different species, varieties, or breeds
a hybrid rose
hybrid cattle
2
: having or produced by a combination of two or more distinct elements : marked by heterogeneity in origin, composition, or appearance
… difficulties with normal English are … its hybrid vocabulary and the irregularities of English spelling.G. A. Miller
a hybrid style
3
: having two different types of components performing essentially the same function
a hybrid vehicle

Examples of hybrid in a Sentence

Noun a hybrid of two roses The band plays a hybrid of jazz and rock. Adjective a hybrid rose called "American Beauty" was actually first developed in France
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The history of Italian food in New York has been an evolution of southern Italian food into an Italian-American hybrid largely based on tomato sauces and large portions of everything. John Mariani, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 The shift to hybrid means staff will still have some flexibility, but will need to live within travel distance to a Bolt office. Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Smart competitors have now adopted by demand a hybrid sales model, engaging customers through a judicious blend of digital, virtual, and in-person interactions. Martin Zwilling, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 The menswear offering includes a hybrid windbreaker sweater that is lightweight, water-repellent and windproof, 100 percent merino and cashmere sweaters and a knitted polo in a relaxed fit in either solids or a tartan check jacquard. Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hybrid 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hybrid.' 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

Latin hybrida

First Known Use

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hybrid was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near hybrid

Cite this Entry

“Hybrid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hybrid. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hybrid

noun
hy·​brid
ˈhī-brəd
1
: an offspring of two animals or plants of different subspecies, breeds, varieties, species, or genera
2
: a person whose background is a blend of two diverse cultures or traditions
3
: something having or produced by a combination or two or more distinct elements
4
: something having two different types of components performing essentially the same function
a hybrid vehicle
hybrid adjective

Medical Definition

hybrid

noun
hy·​brid ˈhī-brəd How to pronounce hybrid (audio)
1
: an offspring of two animals or plants of different races, breeds, varieties, species, or genera
2
: something heterogeneous in origin or composition
artificial hybrids of DNA and RNA
somatic cell hybrids of mouse and human cells
hybrid adjective
hybridism noun
hybridity noun
plural hybridities

Legal Definition

hybrid

adjective
hy·​brid
ˈhī-brid
: consisting of diverse components: as
a
: of, relating to, or being a lawsuit brought by an employee under the Labor Management Relations Act against both the employer for breach of contract and the union for breach of the duty of fair representation
b
: of, relating to, or being representation of a criminal defendant in which the defendant represents himself or herself with the assistance of a lawyer

More from Merriam-Webster on hybrid

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