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natural selection
noun
: a natural process that results in the survival and reproductive success of individuals or groups best adjusted to their environment and that leads to the perpetuation of genetic qualities best suited to that particular environment
Examples of natural selection in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The closest parallels to Babb’s predicament might be the fate of innovators such as Alfred Russel Wallace, who came up with the concept of natural selection around the same time as Charles Darwin, or Gottfried Liebniz, who developed a variant of calculus just as Isaac Newton did.
—Mark Athitakis, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2024
Endorsements came from Alfred Russell Wallace, the co-discoverer of natural selection, and from Arthur Conan Doyle, the physician better known for authoring Sherlock Holmes.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
It’s also revealed why the hybrids that result—with genes separated by perhaps millions of years of natural selection now suddenly recombined in unexpected ways—sometimes fail to thrive.
—Rebecca Heisman, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
If distractibility is such a disadvantage, wouldn’t natural selection have weeded us out long ago?
—Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 13 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for natural selection
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'natural selection.' 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
1842, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of natural selection was
in 1842
Dictionary Entries Near natural selection
Cite this Entry
“Natural selection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural%20selection. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
natural selection
noun
: a natural process in which individuals or groups best adapted to the conditions under which they live survive and produce young and poorly adapted forms are eliminated
Medical Definition
natural selection
noun
: a natural process that results in the survival and reproductive success of individuals or groups best adjusted to their environment and that leads to the perpetuation of genetic qualities best suited to that particular environment
More from Merriam-Webster on natural selection
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about natural selection
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