Methylation

//ˌmɛθɪˈleɪʃən// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The addition of a methyl group to a molecule. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    The addition of a methyl group to cytosine and adenine residues in DNA that leads to the epigenetic modification of DNA and the reduction of gene expression and protein production. countable, uncountable

Example

More examples

"NASA’s Twins Study preliminary results have revealed that space travel causes an increase in methylation, the process of turning genes on and off."

Etymology

From methyl + -ation.

Related phrases

gene expression

More for "methylation"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

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