eugenics

Meaning

Noun

• A social philosophy or practice which advocates the improvement of human hereditary qualities through selective breeding, either by encouraging people with good genetic qualities to reproduce (positive eugenics), or discouraging people with bad genetic qualities from reproducing (negative eugenics), or by technological means.

Origin

• .{{cite-book
• |lang=en
• |year=1883
• |author=Francis Galton
• |authorlink=Francis Galton
• |title=Inquiries into human faculty and its development
• |page=24
• |pageurl=https://archive.org/details/inquiriesintohu01galtgoog/page/n46
• From ἐΰς + γίγνομαι, “well-bred”, “good in stock”. Parallel to Eugene.