Meanings
plural congeners
- A person or thing similar in behavior or nature to another.
Not that we may thereby swamp the thing in the wholesale condemnation which we pass on its inferior congeners, but rather that we may by contrast ascertain the more precisely in what its merits consist, by learning at the same time to what particular dangers of corruption it may also be exposed.
1902, William James, “Lecture I”, in The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature […] , New York, N.Y.; London: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC - chemistryAny of a group of structurally related compounds.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan animal or plant that bears a relationship to another (as related by common descent or by membership in the same genus)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latincongener
- Frenchcongénère
- Englishcongener
From French congénère, from Latin com- (“same”) + genus (“kind”).
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian сродник
- сродник (srodnik)a person or thing similar in behavior or nature to another
Finnish samansukuinen, kongeneeri
- samansukuinena plant or animal of the same taxonomic genus as another
- kongeneerichemistry: any of a group of structurally-related compounds
Italian congenere
- congenerea plant or animal of the same taxonomic genus as another
Spanish congénere, congénere
- congénerea plant or animal of the same taxonomic genus as another
- congénerea person or thing similar in behavior or nature to another
Ukrainian конженер
- конженер (konžener)chemistry: any of a group of structurally-related compounds
Cite this entry
congener. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/congener
“congener.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/congener. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “congener,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/congener.
Source: congener on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.