Meaning & Definition of word "Gens"

Gens

/dʒɛnz/

1. A social class or family group in ancient Rome, often comprising several generations and having a common name.
- Example: The gens Julia was one of the most prominent families in ancient Rome.
2. A group of related individuals, often used in a biological or anthropological context.
- Example: In a study of primates, scientists observed different gens exhibiting distinct behaviors.
3. A category of kinship relation; a clan or tribe.
- Example: The gens of the Native American tribe included several clans with shared ancestry.
4. A term used in genetics to refer to a specific lineage or group of related species.
- Example: The researchers discovered a new gens in the evolutionary tree of the species.

From Latin gens, meaning 'clan, family, race'.

gens of the family:

A term referring to all members of a particular family group.

ancient gens:

Refers to the historical families in ancient Roman society.

gentility:

The quality of being genteel or having good manners, which may derive from noble ancestry.

genetics:

The study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics.

Meaning: Generational meaning, often used to refer to a group of people with shared cultural traits.

Example Sentence: The millennials are often talked about as a gens that values experiences over material wealth.

Meaning: A casual term used to refer to friends or a group of peers.

Example Sentence: I'm hanging out with my gens this weekend.