genetic engineering
noun
: the modification of an organism's genetic material that involves using applied techniques of genetics and biotechnology to alter or delete a DNA segment or to insert a new DNA segment from a different species in order to express (see express entry 1 sense 4) or suppress (see suppress sense 6) a targeted trait or traits : genetic modification
Breeders have used a variety of techniques—and are now beginning to use genetic engineering—to produce crops that grow faster, are less expensive to plant and have better defenses against insects, diseases and harsh weather.—
Keith Schneider
Keith SchneiderBesides developing its own purified form of insulin, it has harnessed the new techniques of genetic engineering to develop a means of producing human insulin in bacteria.—Science
Science
genetically engineered
adjective
genetically engineered soybean crops
genetic engineer
noun
plural genetic engineers
In test-tube procedures, genetic engineers had begun using chemical scissors known as restriction enzymes to snip particular chromosomes at designated points.
—Geoffrey Cowley
Geoffrey Cowley
Examples of genetic engineering in a Sentence
The crops were made resistant to disease by genetic engineering.
Recent Examples on the Web
At a penthouse cocktail party in Austin the night before Natal Con began, the Collinses invited journalists to mingle with founders of gene editing and genetic engineering companies.
—Lisa Hagen, NPR, 25 Apr. 2025
Colossal Biosciences, the genetic engineering company working to bring back a few different extinct animals, announced this week the successful resurrection of the Ice Age-era species.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
The Center for Biological Diversity suggests that 30% of the planet’s genetic diversity will be lost by 2050, and Shapiro and Colossal CEO Ben Lamm insist that genetic engineering is a vital tool to reverse this.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
The predator, long thought extinct and famously mythologized in pop culture like Game of Thrones, is back, thanks to genetic engineering.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genetic engineering
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Lisa Hagen, NPR, 25 Apr. 2025
Colossal Biosciences, the genetic engineering company working to bring back a few different extinct animals, announced this week the successful resurrection of the Ice Age-era species.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
The Center for Biological Diversity suggests that 30% of the planet’s genetic diversity will be lost by 2050, and Shapiro and Colossal CEO Ben Lamm insist that genetic engineering is a vital tool to reverse this.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
The predator, long thought extinct and famously mythologized in pop culture like Game of Thrones, is back, thanks to genetic engineering.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genetic engineering
Cite this Entry
“Genetic engineering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genetic%20engineering. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
genetic engineering
noun
: the modification of an organism's genetic material that involves using applied techniques of genetics and biotechnology to alter or delete a DNA segment or to insert a new DNA segment from a different species in order to express (see express sense 3) or suppress (see suppress sense 3) a targeted trait or traits : genetic modification
Since genetic engineering offers the possibility of altering the amino acid sequence of the expressed protein by adding or substituting codons, it is possible to generate alternative sequences with tunable properties that can be used as promising biomaterials for medical applications.—Sílvia Gomes et al., Progress in Polymer Science
Sílvia Gomes et al., Progress in Polymer Science
genetically engineered
adjective
… vaccination with genetically engineered hypoallergenic allergen derivatives has the potential to reduce the pathological IgE response underlying allergic disease and, hence, may prevent the progression of disease.
—V. Niederberger et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
V. Niederberger et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
genetic engineer
noun
Recent experiments have been used to "edit" genomes of various plant, animal and other species, including humans, with unprecedented precision. … These experiments represent advances along a spectrum of technological abilities that genetic engineers have been working on since the advent of recombinant DNA techniques.
—Pamela L. Sankar and Mildred K. Cho, The American Journal of Bioethics
Pamela L. Sankar and Mildred K. Cho, The American Journal of Bioethics
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