Epigenetics

//ˌɛpɪd͡ʒəˈnɛtɪks// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The study of the processes involved in the genetic development of an organism, especially the activation and deactivation of genes. uncountable

    "Epigenetics deals with the regulation of genetic activity within a cell - which genes are switched on or off, and when it happens."

  2. 2
    The study of heritable changes caused by the activation and deactivation of genes without any change in DNA sequence. uncountable

Example

More examples

"Epigenetics deals with the regulation of genetic activity within a cell - which genes are switched on or off, and when it happens."

Etymology

Blend of epigenesis + genetics; coined by C. H. Waddington in 1942.

Related phrases

genetic determinism

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.