neo-lamarckism

n. (Biol.) Lamarckism as revived, modified, and expounded by recent biologists, esp. as maintaining that the offspring inherits characters acquired by the parent from change of environment, use or disuse of parts, etc.; -- opposed of Neo-Darwinism (which see, above). This theory has been thoroughly discredited, though it had some support for a time in the Soviet Union due to the influence of the biologist Lysenko.-- Ne`o-La*marck"i*an, a. & n. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]