palingenesis

noun

pal·​in·​gen·​e·​sis ˌpa-lən-ˈje-nə-səs 

: metempsychosis

palingenetic

ˌpa-lən-jə-ˈne-tik 

adjective

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek palin again + Latin genesis genesis

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

palingenesis

noun

pal·​in·​gen·​e·​sis ˌpal-ən-ˈjen-ə-səs 

plural palingeneses -ˌsēz 

: the appearance in an individual during its development of characters or structures that have been maintained essentially unchanged throughout the evolutionary history of the group to which it belongs