assortative

adjective

as·​sor·​ta·​tive ə-ˈsȯr-tə-tiv How to pronounce assortative (audio)
: being nonrandom mating based on like or unlike characteristics
assortatively adverb

Examples of assortative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These assortative alliances will be fully voluntarist—to be joined and abandoned as one pleases. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 But Scheidel points out that in postindustrial economies, elite schools disproportionately serve the children of privileged parents, and assortative mating—the tendency of people to marry their socioeconomic peers—magnifies the resulting inequalities. Timur Kuran, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017 But cross-trait assortative mating challenges such inferences. Grace Huckins, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2022 Opposing forces influence assortative mating so that one seeks a similar mate while at the same time avoiding inbreeding with close relatives. Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2013 Model fits indicate that both pleiotropy and assortative mating contribute significantly and about equally to this genetic correlation. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2013 Even taking assortative mating into account, that argument would still appear to hold water. Grace Huckins, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2022 What all this amounts to is, in essence, a supercharged version of an existing process known as assortative mating. The Economist, 9 Nov. 2019 Thus Facebook is remaking the old world that was governed by social ties, probably reducing any benefits that may have come with less assortative coupling through online dating. The Economist, 12 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assortative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of assortative was in 1895

Dictionary Entries Near assortative

Cite this Entry

“Assortative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assortative. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

assortative

adjective
as·​sor·​ta·​tive ə-ˈsȯrt-ət-iv How to pronounce assortative (audio)
: being nonrandom mating based on like or unlike characteristics
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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