translocation

noun

trans·​lo·​ca·​tion ˌtran(t)s-lō-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce translocation (audio)
ˌtranz-
: the act, process, or an instance of changing location or position: such as
a
: the conduction of soluble material (such as metabolic products) from one part of a plant to another
b
: transfer of part of a chromosome to a different position especially on a nonhomologous chromosome
especially : the exchange of parts between nonhomologous chromosomes
translocate
ˈtran(t)s-lō-ˌkāt How to pronounce translocation (audio)
ˈtranz-lō-
(ˌ)tran(t)s-ˈlō- How to pronounce translocation (audio)
(ˌ)tranz-ˈlō-
verb

Examples of translocation in a Sentence

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.
In May 2025, Zeitz and his team, in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service, spearheaded the translocation of 20 black rhinos to the resort. Alexandra Kirkman, Fortune, 18 May 2026 Sixteen years ago, early in her pregnancy, Perri received devastating news: her daughter had an unbalanced translocation of her eighth and 10th chromosomes, the same rare genetic condition that had led to the loss of a previous pregnancy at 20 weeks. Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026 Free-living non-native pigs east of the Wallace Line exhibit complex genomes that suggest waves of prehistoric human translocations. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026 Resistance to the translocation also comes from local authorities and people in the tourism industry, who are wary of losing business and the state’s exclusivity as the only place in India to see lions in the wild, Chellam explained. Aishwarya S. Iyer, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for translocation

Word History

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of translocation was in 1617

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Translocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/translocation. Accessed 31 May. 2026.

Medical Definition

translocation

noun
trans·​lo·​ca·​tion ˌtran(t)s-lō-ˈkā-shən, ˌtranz- How to pronounce translocation (audio)
1
: transfer of part of a chromosome to a different position especially on a nonhomologous chromosome
especially : the exchange of parts between nonhomologous chromosomes
2
: a chromosome or part of a chromosome that has undergone translocation
translocate verb
translocated; translocating
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