Meanings
nounsexual selection (countable and uncountable, plural sexual selections)
plural sexual selections
- countableuncountableevolutionary theoryA type of natural selection where members of the sexes acquire distinct forms either because the members of one sex choose mates with particular features or because in the competition for mates among the members of one sex only those with certain traits succeed.
Origin
Coined by Charles Darwin in his work The Descent of Man (1871).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Cantonese 性選擇 /性选择, 性擇 /性择
- 性選擇 /性选择 (sing³ syun² zaak⁶)type of natural selection
- 性擇 /性择type of natural selection
Chinese Mandarin 性選擇 /性选择, 性擇 /性择
- 性選擇 /性选择 (xìngxuǎnzé)type of natural selection
- 性擇 /性择 (xìngzé)type of natural selection
Czech pohlavní výběr
- pohlavní výběrtype of natural selection
Dutch seksuele selectie
- seksuele selectietype of natural selection
Finnish sukupuolivalinta
- sukupuolivalintatype of natural selection
French sélection sexuelle
- sélection sexuelletype of natural selection
German sexuelle Selektion, sexuelle Auswahl
- sexuelle Selektiontype of natural selection
- sexuelle Auswahltype of natural selection
Icelandic kynbundið val
- kynbundið valtype of natural selection
Latvian dzimumizlase
- dzimumizlasetype of natural selection
Norwegian Bokmål seksuell seleksjon, seksuelt utvalg
- seksuell seleksjontype of natural selection
- seksuelt utvalgtype of natural selection
Polish dobór płciowy
- dobór płciowytype of natural selection
Portuguese seleção sexual
- seleção sexualtype of natural selection
Romanian selecție sexuală
- selecție sexualătype of natural selection
Russian полово́й отбо́р
- полово́й отбо́р (polovój otbór)type of natural selection
Ukrainian стате́вий до́бі́р, стате́вий відбі́р
- стате́вий до́бі́р (statévyj dóbír)type of natural selection
- стате́вий відбі́р (statévyj vidbír)type of natural selection
Cite this entry
APA
sexual selection. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sexual%20selection
MLA
“sexual selection.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sexual%20selection. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sexual selection,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sexual%20selection.
Source: sexual selection on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.