Illustration of DNA
- A molecular model
- 1 hydrogen
- 2 oxygen
- 3 carbon in the helical phosphate ester chains
- 4 carbon and nitrogen in the cross-linked purine and pyrimidine bases
- 5 phosphorus
- B double helix
DNA
noun
: any of various nucleic acids that are usually the molecular basis of heredity, are constructed of a double helix held together by hydrogen bonds between purine and pyrimidine bases (see base entry 1 sense 6b) which project inward from two chains containing alternate links of deoxyribose and phosphate, and that in eukaryotes are localized chiefly in cell nuclei compare recombinant dna
Examples of DNA in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The dozen or so Denisovan fossils that had been identified since 2010 using DNA were too small and fragmentary to warrant an official species name.
—
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
The secret sauce behind the success of Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato’s hit Money Heist franchise has been the ability to reinvent while retaining DNA.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2025
Bring that together – that’s the DNA of our show.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
The remains were discovered on the side of Interstate 90 in the Freeborn County city of Albert Lea on April 6, 2015, according to a news release from The DNA Doe Project (DDP).
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for DNA
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Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
The secret sauce behind the success of Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato’s hit Money Heist franchise has been the ability to reinvent while retaining DNA.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2025
Bring that together – that’s the DNA of our show.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
The remains were discovered on the side of Interstate 90 in the Freeborn County city of Albert Lea on April 6, 2015, according to a news release from The DNA Doe Project (DDP).
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for DNA
Cite this Entry
“DNA.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/DNA. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
DNA
noun
: any of various nucleic acids that are located especially in cell nuclei, are usually the chemical basis of heredity, and are composed of two nucleotide chains held together by hydrogen bonds in a pattern resembling a flexible twisted ladder compare rna
Medical Definition
DNA
noun
: any of various nucleic acids that are usually the molecular basis of heredity, are constructed of a double helix held together by hydrogen bonds between purine and pyrimidine bases which project inward from two chains containing alternate links of deoxyribose and phosphate, and that in eukaryotes are localized chiefly in cell nuclei
called also deoxyribonucleic acid
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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