Meanings
nounorthogenesis (countable and uncountable, plural orthogeneses)
plural orthogeneses
- countablehistoricaluncountableevolutionary theoryThe hypothesis that evolution tends toward a certain goal, at least at some scales.
Origin
From ortho- + -genesis, coined by Wilhelm Haacke in 1893 and popularized with its standard meaning by Theodor Eimer.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan ortogènesi
- ortogènesithe hypothesis that evolution tends toward a certain goal
Finnish ortogeneesi
- ortogeneesithe hypothesis that evolution tends toward a certain goal
French orthogenèse
- orthogenèsethe hypothesis that evolution tends toward a certain goal
German Orthogenese
- Orthogenesethe hypothesis that evolution tends toward a certain goal
Greek ορθογένεση
- ορθογένεση (orthogénesi)the hypothesis that evolution tends toward a certain goal
Japanese 定向進化
- 定向進化 (teikōshinka)the hypothesis that evolution tends toward a certain goal
Portuguese ortogénese, ortogênese
- ortogénesethe hypothesis that evolution tends toward a certain goal
- ortogênesethe hypothesis that evolution tends toward a certain goal
Romanian ortogeneză
- ortogenezăthe hypothesis that evolution tends toward a certain goal
Spanish ortogénesis
- ortogénesisthe hypothesis that evolution tends toward a certain goal
Cite this entry
APA
orthogenesis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orthogenesis
MLA
“orthogenesis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orthogenesis. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “orthogenesis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orthogenesis.
Source: orthogenesis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.