Dictionary

eugenics en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /juːˈd͡ʒɛnɪks/

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.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) 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.
   • In keeping with the goals of the new eugenics movement, McCulloch was claiming to offer scientific evidence of the incorrigibility of poor rural whites. 2006, Matt Wray, Not Quite White, page 77:
   • 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.” 2018 October 16, John Blake, “When Americans tried to breed a better race: How a genetic fitness ‘crusade’ marches on”, in CNN:

Deriveds

techno-eugenics · eugenicide · new eugenics · antieugenics · neo-eugenics · consumer eugenics · positive eugenics · eugenic · stealth eugenics · eugenicist · eugenically · Eugene · negative eugenics · progeny · liberal eugenics · in vitro eugenics · eugenocide

Relateds

stirpiculture · human enhancement · well-bred · well-born · reprogenetics

Translations (61)

af eugenetika (social philosophy) · fi eugeniikka (social philosophy) · cmn 善種學 /善种学 (social philosophy) · es eugenesia (social philosophy) · tl butinsuplingan (social philosophy) · es eugénica (social philosophy) · cy ewgeneg (social philosophy) · ka ევგენიკა (social philosophy) · eo eŭgeniko (social philosophy) · ba евгеника (social philosophy) · lv eigēnika (social philosophy) · ru евгеника (social philosophy) · hu eugenika (social philosophy) · pt eugenia (social philosophy) · ca eugenèsia (social philosophy) · el ευγονική (social philosophy) · uz yevgenika (social philosophy) · lt eugenika (social philosophy) · cmn 優生學 /优生学 (social philosophy) · tr öjenik (social philosophy) · sl evgenika (social philosophy) · gl euxenesia (social philosophy) · az yevgenika (social philosophy) · eu eugenesia (social philosophy) · pl eugenika (social philosophy) · id eugenika (social philosophy) · is mannkynbætur (social philosophy) · sk eugenika (social philosophy) · sv rashygien (social philosophy) · vo hügien bidädik (social philosophy) · vi thuyết ưu sinh (social philosophy) · bg евгеника (social philosophy) · ro eugenism (social philosophy) · fr eugénisme (social philosophy) · fi rodunjalostusoppi (social philosophy) · la eugenica (social philosophy) · he אֵאוּגֵנִיקָה (social philosophy) · ja 優生学 (social philosophy) · id eugenetika (social philosophy) · sv eugenik (social philosophy) · de Eugenik (social philosophy) · nl eugenetica (social philosophy) · uk євгеніка (social philosophy) · et eugeenika (social philosophy) · da eugenik (social philosophy) · kk евгеника (social philosophy) · ko 우생학 (social philosophy) · it eugenetica (social philosophy) · th สุพันธุศาสตร์ (social philosophy) · hy եվգենիկա (social philosophy) · ms eugenik (social philosophy) · gv jeih-gheintyn (social philosophy) · de Rassenhygiene (social philosophy) · no eugenikk (social philosophy) · ga eoiginic (social philosophy) · ms eugenika (social philosophy) · de Eugenetik (social philosophy) · ky эвгеника (social philosophy) · ar تَحْسِين نَسْل (social philosophy) · mk еугеника (social philosophy) · cs eugenika (social philosophy)