Meanings
- capitalizedsometimesuncountablebiologyThe mathematical framework unifying Darwinian evolution and Mendelian heredity into a coherent theory.
In other words, the Modern Synthesis simply abstracts away from the role of phenotypic variation. It explains evolutionary change solely in terms of genetic variation.
2020, Martin Hähnel, editor, Aristotelian Naturalism: A Research Companion, Springer Nature, →ISBN, page 3361 more example
The core of the Modern Synthesis was to suggest that these observable processes, controlled by genes, explain the principles of variation and selection as laid out by Darwin: genetics underpin the mutability of species, and it is the nuts and bolts of descent with modification.
2018, Julia D. Sigwart, What Species Mean: A User's Guide to the Units of Biodiversity, CRC Press, →ISBN
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
Coined by British evolutionary biologist, philosopher, author Julian Huxley in 1942, in his book Evolution: The Modern Synthesis.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
modern synthesis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modern%20synthesis
“modern synthesis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modern%20synthesis. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “modern synthesis,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modern%20synthesis.
Source: modern synthesis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.