genesis

1 of 2

noun (1)

gen·​e·​sis ˈje-nə-səs How to pronounce genesis (audio)
plural geneses ˈje-nə-ˌsēz How to pronounce genesis (audio)
: the origin or coming into being of something
the genesis of a new political movement

Genesis

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the mainly narrative first book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scriptures see Bible Table

Did you know?

The traditional Greek name for the first and best-known book of the Bible is Genesis, meaning "origin". Genesis tells the stories of the creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah's ark, the Tower of Babel, Abraham and his sons, and more—the stories that explain how the world and humanity were created, as well as much about how humanity, and especially the descendants of Abraham, relate to the rest of the world. Today we use genesis to refer to the creative beginnings of much smaller things, but never unimportant ones.

Examples of genesis in a Sentence

Noun (1) a book about the genesis of the civil rights movement was present at the meeting which was later considered the genesis of the new political movement
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
These professionals can step up to the podium at the very genesis of AI strategy and help guide the duet of human talent and tech talent in a way that reflects the soul of their organization. Vishal Bhalla, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The person most closely associated with A.B.A.’s genesis is O. Ivar Lovaas, a clinical psychologist at U.C.L.A. who worked with severely autistic children. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2024 The genesis of this partnership lies in Argano’s quest for funding a research paper exploring the benefits of investing in operating environments. Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024 That was the genesis of the movie, how that came about. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 9 Feb. 2024 The Morris Trophy started 44 years ago, the geneses of Traci Morris Drake, who first got then-Washington coach Don James on board with the idea before pitching it to the rest of the conference. Tim Booth, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024 According to the documentary, the song's genesis came from Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2023 There are many tales about the Lunar New Year genesis, but according to the Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology, the most popular folklore in Chinese culture is that of a mythical beast that ate crops, livestock and people on the eve of Lunar New Year. Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Jan. 2024 The actress, who first caught Payne’s eye with her stunning turn in Dolemite Is My Name, only learned about Mary’s genesis during the movie’s press cycle. Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Latin, from Greek, from gignesthai to be born — more at kin

Noun (2)

Greek

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1604, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of genesis was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near genesis

Cite this Entry

“Genesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genesis. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

genesis

1 of 2 noun
gen·​e·​sis ˈjen-ə-səs How to pronounce genesis (audio)
plural geneses -ə-ˌsēz How to pronounce genesis (audio)
: the origin or coming into being of something

Genesis

2 of 2
: the mainly narrative first book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scriptures see bible

Medical Definition

genesis

noun
gen·​e·​sis ˈjen-ə-səs How to pronounce genesis (audio)
plural geneses -ˌsēz How to pronounce genesis (audio)
: the origin or coming into being of something : the process or mode of origin

More from Merriam-Webster on genesis

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!