Meaning & use
ontogeny
Last updated
the process by which an individual organism develops from an early stage, such as an embryo, to maturity.
See it in a sentence
The professor explained how ontogeny differs from the evolutionary development of a species.
Researchers studied the frog's ontogeny from tadpole to adult.
A note on using this word
Ontogeny is often paired and contrasted with 'phylogeny,' the evolutionary history of a species, especially in the famous but now oversimplified phrase 'ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny.'
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ontogeny”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.