Baldwin effect

noun

The effect whereby an organism's ability to learn new behaviours affects its reproductive success and therefore changes the genetic makeup of its species through natural selection.

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Meanings

nounBaldwin effect (plural Baldwin effects)

plural Baldwin effects

  1. evolutionary theoryThe effect whereby an organism's ability to learn new behaviours affects its reproductive success and therefore changes the genetic makeup of its species through natural selection.

Origin

Introduced by James Mark Baldwin.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Baldwin effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Baldwin%20effect

MLA

“Baldwin effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Baldwin%20effect. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Baldwin effect,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Baldwin%20effect.

Source: Baldwin effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.