epigenetic
adjective
epi·ge·net·ic
ˌe-pə-jə-ˈne-tik 
1
a
: of, relating to, or produced by the chain of developmental processes in epigenesis that lead from genotype to phenotype after the initial action of the genes
b
: relating to, being, or involving changes in gene function that do not involve changes in DNA sequence
epigenetic inheritance
2
of a deposit or structure
: formed after the laying down of the enclosing rock
Examples of epigenetic in a Sentence
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The researchers cross-referenced these epigenetic clocks with temperature data from across the United States in the six years before the blood samples were collected in a 2016 study.
—
Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
Aging Types and Causes How the Study Linked These Habits With Slower Aging
For the study, published in the journal Nature Aging, researchers tracked 777 people over the age of 70 and measured their biological age using epigenetic clocks.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 12 Feb. 2025
Over evolutionary time the supergene is likely to accumulate even more gene variants and epigenetic tags that complement an aggressive phenotype, in keeping with the theory behind the evolution of chromosomes associated with sexes.
—Donna L. Maney, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025
Another critical transition also occurs at a specific point in time in the process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells, as the result of an accumulation of both genetic and epigenetic changes.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epigenetic
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Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
Aging Types and Causes How the Study Linked These Habits With Slower Aging
For the study, published in the journal Nature Aging, researchers tracked 777 people over the age of 70 and measured their biological age using epigenetic clocks.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 12 Feb. 2025
Over evolutionary time the supergene is likely to accumulate even more gene variants and epigenetic tags that complement an aggressive phenotype, in keeping with the theory behind the evolution of chromosomes associated with sexes.
—Donna L. Maney, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025
Another critical transition also occurs at a specific point in time in the process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells, as the result of an accumulation of both genetic and epigenetic changes.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epigenetic
Cite this Entry
“Epigenetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epigenetic. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
epigenetic
adjective
epi·ge·net·ic
-jə-ˈnet-ik
1
: of, relating to, or produced by epigenesis
the epigenetic nature of vertebrate development
2
: relating to, being, or involving a modification in gene expression that is independent of the DNA sequence of a gene
epigenetic carcinogenesis
epigenetic inheritance
Methylation is one of many epigenetic signals—chemical changes to DNA and its associated proteins—that modify gene activity without altering the genetic information itself.—Tina Hesman Saey, Science News
Tina Hesman Saey, Science NewsLove words? Need even more definitions?
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