Oligogenic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to a genetic inheritance pattern characterized by the involvement of a small number of genes
2. Describing traits that are influenced or regulated by a few specific genes
3. Pertaining to biological characteristics that arise from the activity of limited genetic factors

Etymology: "Oligogenic" is a technical adjective built from two Greek-derived pieces. The first, "oligo-", comes from Greek "oligos", meaning "few" or "little", and it appears in scientific coinages such as "oligopoly" (a market with few sellers) and "oligosaccharide". The second, "-genic", comes from Greek "genes" in the sense of "producing" or "originating from", the same root that gives "genetic" and "genesis", and it is used to mean "caused by or relating to" something. Put together, the word describes a trait, disease or condition that is influenced by a small number of genes, as opposed to a single gene (monogenic) or many genes acting together (polygenic). Because the term was assembled deliberately from classical parts, it belongs to the modern scientific vocabulary of genetics rather than to any ancient Greek usage, and its meaning is transparent from its parts.