1. a person who advocates or practices eugenics, the study or practice of improving the genetic quality of a population
Usage: often used in historical or critical contexts; the term is associated with discredited and harmful pseudoscientific movements

Examples

• Early 20th-century eugenists promoted controversial theories about human heredity.
• The eugenist movement gained traction in several countries before World War II.
• Modern geneticists reject the flawed reasoning of historical eugenists.
• Some eugenists falsely claimed that certain traits were inherently superior in different populations.
• The ethical failures of eugenists have shaped how scientists approach genetic research today.