noun
phylogeny
Phylogeny (noun) means the evolutionary history of a group of living things, such as a species.
noun
1
The evolutionary history of a group of living things, such as a species.
"It was a bestiary more than a hundred years old, its entries organised by a quaintly outdated phylogeny and illustrated with hand-tinted plates."
— Paul McAuley, Beyond the Burn Line (2022)
2
A diagram showing evolutionary relationships.
3
The way a human social or ethnic group has developed over history.
4
The way something, such as an idea or object, has developed over time.
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like phylogeny.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Etymology
Borrowed from German Phylogenie, coined by Ernst Haeckel in 1866 as a neologism made to look as though borrowed from a Classical Greek word φυλογένεια (phulogéneia), itself built from Ancient Greek φῦλον (phûlon, "tribe, genus, species") plus -γένεια (-géneia, "-geny (generation, production)"); equivalent to phylo- plus -geny.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for phylogeny
See all rhymes for phylogeny →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of phylogeny?
"phylogeny" (noun) means the evolutionary history of a group of living things, such as a species.
What is another word for phylogeny?
Other words for "phylogeny" include phylogenesis, evolution.
What are the different meanings of phylogeny?
"phylogeny" has 3 main meanings: 1. The evolutionary history of a group of living things, such as a species; 2. A diagram showing evolutionary relationships; 3. The way a human social or ethnic group has developed over history.
