monogenic
|mon-o-gen-ic|
🇺🇸
/ˌmoʊnoʊˈdʒɛnɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌmɒnəˈdʒɛnɪk/
originating from a single gene
Etymology
'monogenic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'monogenēs', where 'monos' meant 'single' and 'genēs' (from 'genos') meant 'birth, origin, kind'.
'monogenēs' passed into New Latin/Modern scientific formation as 'monogenetic/monogenic' and was adopted into English in scientific usage to form 'monogenic'.
Initially, the Greek root referred broadly to 'originating from a single source' (birth/origin); in modern scientific English it evolved to the narrower sense of 'originating from or determined by a single gene'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
caused by or determined by a single gene; describing a trait, disorder, or characteristic that is controlled by one gene.
Cystic fibrosis is a monogenic disorder caused by mutations in the CFTR gene.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/18 05:40