Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

eugenics

/juːˈd͡ʒɛnɪks/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.97 in modern English

Syllables: eu-gen-ics
IPA: /juːˈd͡ʒɛnɪks/

11

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A social philosophy or practice which advocates the improvement of human hereditary qualities through selective breeding, either by encouraging people with superior genetic qualities to reproduce (positive eugenics), or discouraging people with inferior genetic qualities from reproducing (negative eugenics), or by technological means.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"In keeping with the goals of the new eugenics movement, McCulloch was claiming to offer scientific evidence of the incorrigibility of poor rural whites."
"The eugenics mania that swept the country in the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to forced sterilizations and the passage of laws in 27 states designed to limit the numbers of those considered genetically unfit: immigrants, Jews, African-Americans, the mentally ill and those deemed “morally delinquent.”"

Etymology

Coined by Francis Galton in 1883. From ἐΰς (eǘs, “good”) + γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “breeding”), “well-bred”, “good in stock”. Parallel to Eugene. By surface analysis, eugenic + -s.

Usage

Uncountable

Derived Forms

antieugenics Eugene eugenic eugenically eugenicide eugenicist eugenocide progeny

Phrases

consumer eugenics in vitro eugenics liberal eugenics negative eugenics neo-eugenics new eugenics positive eugenics stealth eugenics

Frequently Paired Words

human enhancement reprogenetics stirpiculture well-born well-bred

Rhymes With

enix calisthenics phenix penix pennix

Questions

How do you pronounce eugenics?: The recorded pronunciation is /juːˈd͡ʒɛnɪks/.
What does eugenics mean?: A social philosophy or practice which advocates the improvement of human hereditary qualities through selective breeding, either by encouraging people with superior genetic qualities to reproduce (positive eugenics), or discouraging people with inferior genetic qualities from reproducing (negative eugenics), or by technological means.
Where does eugenics come from?: Coined by Francis Galton in 1883. From ἐΰς (eǘs, “good”) + γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “breeding”), “well-bred”, “good in stock”. Parallel to Eugene. By surface analysis, eugenic + -s.

How to pronounce eugenics

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “eugenics”.
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