natural selection

Definitions

1. A process by which heritable traits conferring survival and reproductive advantage to individuals, or related individuals, tend to be passed on to succeeding generations and become more frequent in a population, whereas other less favourable traits tend to become eliminated; the differential survival and reproduction of phenotypes.
   uncountable
2. A process by which poor individual choices or attributes naturally, or rightfully, lead to poor outcomes, especially death.
   colloquial, offensive, sometimes, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“Yes, there were hundreds of companies in existence, but a form⟳ of natural selection was taking place⟳. Weaker companies were swallowed up by larger ones.”

“Lead⟳ singer “Hooch” tries hard to be offensive, telling the crowd he'd like⟳ to set⟳ some hippies and homeless people on fire, promoting drunk driving as “natural selection at work⟳,’”

““He should of looked left or right or at least used the crossing up the road, I have⟳ no sympathy it’s natural selection at it’s finest. Let’s hope⟳ the parents clear off back to their own⟳ country now””

CEFR level