monophyletic

M3O1N1O1P3H4Y4L1E1T1I1C3

adjective

Of, pertaining to, or affecting a single phylum (or other taxon) of organisms.

OriginEnglish phyletic ← Ancient Greek μονο- (mono-) ← Proto-Hellenic *mónwos →
UncommonScrabble 24
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Meanings

adjectivemonophyletic (not comparable)
  1. not comparablebiologyOf, pertaining to, or affecting a single phylum (or other taxon) of organisms.
  2. not comparablebiologyDeriving from a single clade (monophylum).
  3. Descending from a single ancestral species.
    1. not comparablebiologyDescending from a single ancestral species and containing all descendants of that single ancestor, holophyletic.
    2. not comparablebiologyDescending from a single ancestral species but not containing all descendants of that ancestor, paraphyletic.
  4. not comparablebiologycongeneric

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*men-
  2. Proto-Hellenic*mónwos
  3. Ancient Greekμόνος (mónos)
  4. Ancient Greekμονο- (mono-)
  5. Englishmono-
  6. Englishphyletic
  7. Englishmonophyletic

From mono- + phyletic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish monofyleettinen, monofyleettinen
  • monofyleettinenof, pertaining to, or affecting a single phylum
  • monofyleettinenderiving from a single clade
German monophyletisch
  • monophyletischof, pertaining to, or affecting a single phylum
Greek μονοφυλετικός
  • μονοφυλετικός (monofyletikós)of, pertaining to, or affecting a single phylum
Portuguese monofilético
  • monofiléticoderiving from a single clade
Vietnamese đơn ngành
  • đơn ngànhof, pertaining to, or affecting a single phylum
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“monophyletic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monophyletic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “monophyletic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monophyletic.

Source: monophyletic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.