eugenic

Definitions

eu- (good, well) + gen (born) + -ic = 'well-born.' Coined in the 19th century for the (now discredited and ethically condemned) project of breeding 'better' humans. The root tells you exactly the premise: good + birth.

Why It Means This

The eu- prefix (as in euphoria 'good feeling,' eulogy 'good words') frames eugenic as 'good birth.' But the history is dark: eugenic policies in the early 20th century led to forced sterilizations and were central to Nazi ideology, so the word now carries strong negative connotations even though its parts literally mean 'well-born.'

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Historians condemn the eugenic policies of the early 1900s.

• 2.

  The novel imagines a society shaped by eugenic ideals.