English · Word Candidate

genus

/ˈdʒiːnəs/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: genera · genuses · genusses

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A category in the classification of organisms, ranking below family (Lat. familia) and above species.

Noun

All magnolias belong to the genus Magnolia.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

A category in the classification of organisms, ranking below family (Lat. familia) and above species. — A taxon at this rank.

Noun

In most cases, at subsequent mentions of the binomial name you can abbreviate the genus with no danger of confusing the reader.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “genus” mean?

A category in the classification of organisms, ranking below family (Lat. familia) and above species.

Is “genus” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.