gene

noun

plural genes
: a specific sequence of nucleotides in DNA or RNA that is located usually on a chromosome and that is the functional unit of inheritance controlling the transmission and expression of one or more traits by specifying the structure of a particular polypeptide and especially a protein or controlling the function of other genetic material

Examples of gene in a Sentence

She inherited a good set of genes from her parents.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The researchers also identified similar clusters of genes in other fungi, suggesting that many more fungal RiPPs remain to be discovered. Justin Stebbing, JSTOR Daily, 24 July 2025 Parkinson’s disease has been linked to more than 200 mutations in this gene, some of which may cause issues with protein production, durability and function. Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 22 July 2025 In a study published in the journal Nature Medicine, scientists examined the genes of more than 5 million people to determine which genetic variants are linked to obesity. Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 21 July 2025 The world’s first ‘three-parent babies’ are healthy Britain in 2015 began allowing mitochondrial donation, resulting in a pioneering IVF treatment whereby a couple’s genes are removed from a fertilized egg, leaving the defective DNA behind, and then injected into the egg of a healthy woman. Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for gene

Word History

Etymology

German Gen, short for Pangen, from pan- + -gen

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gene was in 1909

Cite this Entry

“Gene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gene. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

gene

noun
: a part of DNA or sometimes RNA that is usually located on a chromosome and that contains chemical information needed to make a particular protein (as an enzyme) controlling or influencing an inherited bodily trait or activity (as eye color or metabolism) or that influences or controls the activity of another gene or genes

Medical Definition

gene

noun
: a specific sequence of nucleotides in DNA or RNA that is located usually on a chromosome and that is the functional unit of inheritance controlling the transmission and expression of one or more traits by specifying the structure of a particular polypeptide and especially a protein or controlling the function of other genetic material

called also determinant, determiner, factor

More from Merriam-Webster on gene

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