abiogenesis

[ ey-bahy-oh-jen-uh-sis, ab-ee-oh- ]

/ ˌeɪ baɪ oʊˈdʒɛn ə sɪs, ˌæb i oʊ- /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: abiogenetic on Thesaurus.com

noun Biology.

the theory that the earliest life forms on earth developed from nonliving matter.Compare biogenesis.

Also called spon·ta·ne·ous gen·er·a·tion

[spon-tey-nee-uhs jen-uh-rey-shuhn] /spɒnˈteɪ ni əs ˌdʒɛn əˈreɪ ʃən/ . the now discredited theory that living organisms can arise spontaneously from inanimate matter.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of abiogenesis

a-⁶ + biogenesis; coined by T. H. Huxley in 1870

OTHER WORDS FROM abiogenesis

a·bi·o·ge·net·ic

[ey-bahy-oh-juh-net-ik, ab-ee-oh-], /ˌeɪ baɪ oʊ dʒəˈnɛt ɪk, ˌæb i oʊ-/, a·bi·o·ge·net·i·cal, adjectivea·bi·o·ge·net·i·cal·ly, adverba·bi·og·e·nist

[ey-bahy-oj-uh-nist, ab-ee-], /ˌeɪ baɪˈɒdʒ ə nɪst, ˌæb i-/, noun

Words nearby abiogenesis

Abingdon, Abington, ab initio, Abinoam, ab intra, abiogenesis, abiogenic, abiological, abiosis, abiotic, abiotic factor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use abiogenesis in a sentence

Abiogenesis, ab-i-o-jen′es-is, n. the origination of living by not-living matter, spontaneous generation.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
I entirely agree with his assertion that “to reject abiogenesis is to admit a miracle.”
The Riddle of the Universe at the close of the nineteenth century|Ernst Haeckel
The belief in abiogenesis or spontaneous generation, as now taking place, has completely disappeared from biological teaching.
Evolution in Art|Alfred C. Haddon
This belief led to the theory of abiogenesis so-called—a term signifying the production of life without life to begin with.
Notable Events of the Nineteenth Century|Various

British Dictionary definitions for abiogenesis

abiogenesis

/ (ˌeɪbaɪəʊˈdʒɛnɪsɪs) /

noun

Also called: autogenesis the hypothetical process by which living organisms first arose on earth from nonliving matter

another name for spontaneous generation Compare biogenesis

Derived forms of abiogenesis

abiogenetic, adjectiveabiogenist (ˌeɪbaɪˈɒdʒɪnɪst), noun

Word Origin for abiogenesis

C19: New Latin, from a- 1 + bio- + genesis

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for abiogenesis

abiogenesis

[ ā′bī-ō-jĕn′ĭ-sĭs ]

See spontaneous generation.