Meanings
plural neotenies
- countableuncountablebiologyThe retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult.
Most amphibians are aquatic only while young, but some amphibians with neoteny remain aquatic even as adults.
1 more example
Richard Wrangham has noted that the domestication of animals usually tames them by slowing down components of the developmental timetable to retain juvenile traits into adulthood, a process called pedomorphy or neoteny.
2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin, published 2012, page 744
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Ancient Greekνέος“young”
- GermanNeotenie
- Englishneoteny
From German Neotenie, coined in 1884 by anatomist Julius Kollmann from Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “young”) + τείνειν (teínein, “to extend, spread or tense”).
More words from German, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 幼態持續 /幼态持续, 幼態延續 /幼态延续
- 幼態持續 /幼态持续 (yòutài chíxù)retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
- 幼態延續 /幼态延续 (yòutài yánxù)retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
Finnish neotenia, vajaa yksilönkehitys
- neoteniaretention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
- vajaa yksilönkehitysretention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
French néoténie, néoténie
- néoténieretention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
- néoténiesexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage
German Neotenie, Verjugendlichung
- Neotenieretention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
- Verjugendlichungretention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
Greek νεοτενία
- νεοτενία (neotenía)retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
Irish neoitineacht, neoitineacht
- neoitineachtretention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
- neoitineachtsexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage
Italian neotenia, neotenia
- neoteniaretention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
- neoteniasexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage
Japanese ネオテニー, 幼形成熟
- ネオテニー (neotenī)retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
- 幼形成熟 (yōkei seijuku)retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
- 幼態成熟 (yōtai seijuku)retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
Korean 유형성숙
- 유형성숙 (yuhyeongseongsuk)retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
Persian نئوتنی
- نئوتنیretention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
Polish neotenia, neotenia
- neoteniaretention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
- neoteniasexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage
Russian неоте́ния, неоте́ния
- неоте́ния (neoténija)retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
- неоте́ния (neoténija)sexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage
Spanish neotenia
- neoteniaretention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
Swedish neoteni, neoteni
- neoteniretention of juvenile characteristics in the adult
- neotenisexual maturity of an organism still in its larval stage
Cite this entry
neoteny. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neoteny
“neoteny.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neoteny. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “neoteny,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neoteny.
Source: neoteny on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.