biogenetic law

noun

: the theory of ontogenetic recapitulation

Examples of biogenetic law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Take Haeckel’s pet theory, the biogenetic law, which stipulates that the development of each embryo in utero echoes the evolution of its remote ancestors. —

Christoph Irmscher, WSJ, 13 Apr. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of biogenetic law was in 1874

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Biogenetic law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biogenetic%20law. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

biogenetic law

noun

: a theory of development much disputed in biology: an organism passes through successive stages resembling the series of ancestral types from which it has descended so that the ontogeny of the individual is a recapitulation of the phylogeny of the group

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

wassail

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

biogenetic law

noun

Examples of biogenetic law in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near biogenetic law

Cite this Entry

Medical Definition