acquired characteristic

noun

A change or modification to a living organism that occurs during its lifetime, that is not incorporated into its DNA, and hence cannot be passed on to its offspring; for example, the loss of a limb in an accident, or stunted growth due to inadequate nutrition.

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Meanings

nounacquired characteristic (plural acquired characteristics)

plural acquired characteristics

  1. evolutionary theoryA change or modification to a living organism that occurs during its lifetime, that is not incorporated into its DNA, and hence cannot be passed on to its offspring; for example, the loss of a limb in an accident, or stunted growth due to inadequate nutrition.

Translations

Arabic صِفَة مُكْتَسَبَة
  • صِفَة مُكْتَسَبَةTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

acquired characteristic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acquired%20characteristic

MLA

“acquired characteristic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acquired%20characteristic. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acquired characteristic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acquired%20characteristic.

Source: acquired characteristic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.