What does "oncogene" mean?

Any gene that contributes to the conversion of a normal cell into a cancerous cell when mutated or expressed at high levels.

What is a synonym for "oncogene"?

Common synonyms include: transforming gene.

noun

noun ·3 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Any gene that contributes to the conversion of a normal cell into a cancerous cell when mutated or expressed at high levels.
"It was obvious from the start what kinds of genes oncogenes would turn out to be – genes that encourage cells to grow."
2
a gene that disposes normal cells to change into cancerous tumor cells wordnet

"It was obvious from the start what kinds of genes oncogenes would turn out to be – genes that encourage cells to grow."

From onco- + gene.

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