Wild type is a term used to describe the normal or ancestral form of a species. In genetics, it refers to the standard or typical allele that is commonly found in a population. Some synonyms for wild type include normal, native, typical, natural, standard, common, and ancestral. These words all refer to the most common or expected form of something. Other related terms include wild-type phenotype or wild-type gene. These phrases describe the physical or genetic characteristics that are present in the wild-type organism. Understanding wild type and its synonyms is important in genetics and evolutionary biology as it helps scientists to compare and contrast different species or variants.