plural genera
ˈje-nə-rə 
also genuses
also genuses
1
: a class, kind, or group marked by common characteristics or by one common characteristic
specifically
: a category of biological classification ranking between the family and the species, comprising structurally or phylogenetically (see phylogenetic sense 2) related species or an isolated species exhibiting unusual differentiation, and being designated by a Latin or latinized capitalized singular noun
2
: a class of objects divided into several subordinate species
Synonyms
Examples of genus in a Sentence
the crime novel, written from the criminal's perspective, is sometimes seen as a particular species of the detective story genus
Recent Examples on the Web
The butterfly, named Metron mentor as an anagram for the genus and species, has a fuzzy brown body with white, uneven splotches across its wings.
—
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 16 May 2024
The deer genus, Santuccimeryx, was named to honor the work of Vincent L. Santucci, the Senior Paleontologist and Paleontology Program Coordinator in the Geologic Resources Division of the National Park Service.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024
The new genus of deer has teeth very similar to Leptomeryx and a skull resembling that of the Pseudoparablastomeryx, officials said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 9 May 2024
Bush Anemone Companion Plants Manzanita Manzanita is a genus of evergreen shrubs or trees native to California, the North Coast Range, and the Sierra Nevada mountains.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 May 2024
Telling Cicada Species Apart All seven species of periodical cicadas fall under the genus Magicicada.
—Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2024
As similar fossils turned up, Mosasaurus turned out to be just the first genus of a whole group of marine reptiles—the mosasaurs.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2024
Another member of the genus was found to have venom containing 194 identifiable toxins, according to an April study published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
The giant kangaroos are from the genus Protemnodon, and would have demonstrated more variability in shape, range and hopping method than researchers previously thought, according to a statement from Flinders University in South Australia.
—Jack Guy, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 16 May 2024
The deer genus, Santuccimeryx, was named to honor the work of Vincent L. Santucci, the Senior Paleontologist and Paleontology Program Coordinator in the Geologic Resources Division of the National Park Service.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024
The new genus of deer has teeth very similar to Leptomeryx and a skull resembling that of the Pseudoparablastomeryx, officials said.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 9 May 2024
Bush Anemone Companion Plants Manzanita Manzanita is a genus of evergreen shrubs or trees native to California, the North Coast Range, and the Sierra Nevada mountains.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 May 2024
Telling Cicada Species Apart All seven species of periodical cicadas fall under the genus Magicicada.
—Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2024
As similar fossils turned up, Mosasaurus turned out to be just the first genus of a whole group of marine reptiles—the mosasaurs.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2024
Another member of the genus was found to have venom containing 194 identifiable toxins, according to an April study published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
The giant kangaroos are from the genus Protemnodon, and would have demonstrated more variability in shape, range and hopping method than researchers previously thought, according to a statement from Flinders University in South Australia.
—Jack Guy, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'genus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near genus
Cite this Entry
“Genus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genus. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
plural genera
ˈjen-ə-rə
: a class, kind, or group marked by common characteristics or by one common characteristic
specifically
: a category of biological classification ranking between the family and the species, comprising structurally or phylogenetically related species or an isolated species exhibiting unusual differentiation, and designated by a Latin or latinized capitalized singular noun
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