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genetically predisposed

genetically predisposed

4 6.7
Being born with a higher chance of developing certain illnesses
  • adjective
  • /dʒəˈnɛtɪkli prɪˈdɪspoʊzd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : predispuesto genéticamente
  • The caption at the bottom said, "A. F. Young, M.D. Psychiatrist." Anna said, "Ms. Lopez has always been genetically predisposed to the development of a variant of borderline personality disorder."
  • genetically predisposed individuals

And I, I don't think that it's as genetically predisposed as we might think it is addictive traits and things like that.

Examples

  • Recent studies have shown that some individuals are genetically predisposed to developing certain health issues, like diabetes.

  • Furthermore, whether someone genetically predisposed to hypertension actually develops symptoms depends a lot on lifestyle.

    Academic text (1991)
  • -Recent studies have shown that certain people are genetically predisposed to gaining weight.

  • Some individuals, both men and women, are genetically predisposed to produce more DHT than normal individuals.

    Blog text (12)
  • Did you know that some people are genetically predisposed to dislike cilantro?

    Blog text (7)
  • New research in Nature suggests redheads may be genetically predisposed to melanoma, even if they never see a ray of UV light.

    Blog text (18)
  • People who are genetically predisposed to certain conditions may benefit from early medical screenings.

  • Children who are genetically predisposed to allergies should be monitored closely for any allergic reactions.

Synonyms

predisposed
vsgenetically predisposed
1 6.2

Likely to develop a health problem because of genes or environment

specifies the tendency is inherited through genes rather than other causes

Surface Forms

Morphology

genetically + predisposed

The meaning is directly derivable from the parts: 'genetically' specifies the cause (by genes) and 'predisposed' indicates a tendency or likelihood, so together they mean having an inherited tendency. This compositional pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a learner who knows both words should understand the phrase.

Etymology

Genetically predisposed comes from the image of genes as tiny seeds or a family blueprint passed from parents; having those seeds means you are genetically marked and so predisposed. So, genetically predisposed means 'having an inherited tendency to develop' a condition.