# artificial selection

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Intervention by humans in the breeding of plants or animals in order to preserve selected genetic traits.

## Etymology
Coined by Charles Darwin in 1859 in his book On the Origin of Species.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/artificial-selection