# inclusive fitness

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. the number of offspring equivalents an individual rears, rescues or otherwise supports through its behavior (regardless of who begets them).

## Etymology
Coined by W. D. Hamilton in his 1964 paper "The Genetical Evolution of Social Behaviour".

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