phenetic

adjective

phe·​net·​ic fi-ˈne-tik How to pronounce phenetic (audio)
: of or relating to taxonomic analysis that emphasizes the overall similarities of characteristics among biological taxa without regard to phylogenetic relationships

Examples of phenetic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Given infinite population sizes and infinite time to evolve one presumes that the full space of genetic and phenetic possibilities could be explored. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 26 May 2011 The idea of dominance and recessiveness already indicate that not all genetic variation is created equal, and that there are non-linearities in the interaction of genetic variation and phenetic variation. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2010

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

phenotype + -etic (as in genetic)

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of phenetic was in 1960

Dictionary Entries Near phenetic

Cite this Entry

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!