Phrase guide

genetic drift

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An overall shift of allele distribution in an isolated population, due to random fluctuations in the frequencies of individual alleles of the genes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: evolutionary theory

Topics: biology, genetics, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: allelic drift, Wright effect

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: deriva genètica — overall shift of allele distribution in an isolated population
  • Chinese Cantonese: 遺傳漂變 /遗传漂变 (wai4 cyun4 piu1 bin3) — overall shift of allele distribution in an isolated population
  • Chinese Mandarin: 遺傳漂變 /遗传漂变 (yíchuán piāobiàn) — overall shift of allele distribution in an isolated population
  • French: dérive génétique — overall shift of allele distribution in an isolated population
  • German: Gendrift — overall shift of allele distribution in an isolated population
  • Gujarati: જનીન વિચલન (janīn viclan) — overall shift of allele distribution in an isolated population
  • Italian: deriva genetica — overall shift of allele distribution in an isolated population
  • Welsh: symudiad genynnol — overall shift of allele distribution in an isolated population