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genetically

UK[dʒɪˈnet.ɪ.kəl.i]US[dʒəˈnet̬.ɪ.kəl.i]
adv

in a way that relates to genes or genetics

adv

by origin or birth; inherently

Morpheme Breakdown

gene
tic
ally
gene

origin, birth

tic

adjective suffix

ally

adverb suffix

Etymology

the word 'genetically' is built upon the ancient greek root 'genos', which conveyed fundamental concepts of birth, origin, race, and kind. this root passed into latin as 'genus' and into modern scientific vocabulary, giving rise to 'gene'. the adjectival suffix '-tic', of greek origin via latin and french, transforms the noun into 'genetic', meaning pertaining to origin or genes. finally, the english adverbial suffix '-ally' is appended, creating an adverb that describes something done in a manner relating to biological inheritance or inherent nature. thus, the term elegantly connects the classical idea of lineal descent to contemporary scientific understanding of heredity.

Analysis

Structure: gene (origin, birth) + tic (adjective suffix) + ally (adverb suffix) gene (from greek 'genos', meaning race, kind, birth, origin; serves as the core noun root). tic (from greek '-tikos', via latin '-ticus' and french '-tique', forming adjectives; serves as an adjective-forming suffix). ally (from latin '-alis' via old french '-el, -al', and the adverbial suffix '-ly'; serves as an adverb-forming suffix).

Examples

the disease can be genetically inherited.

the plants were genetically modified to resist pests.

he is genetically predisposed to athleticism.

genetically – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology