Gene Meaning
/d͡ʒiːn/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA theoretical unit of heredity of living organisms which may take several values and (in principle) predetermines a precise trait of an organism's form (phenotype), such as hair color.
nounA segment of DNA or RNA from a cell's or an organism's genome, that may take several forms and thus parameterizes a phenomenon, such as (often) the structure of a protein.
Sentence Examples
DNA is a complex chemical that makes up a gene.
A great many people were opposed to gene therapy in terms of ethics.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The scientist studied how the ____ for eye color is passed from parents to children.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Scientists have identified a specific ____ that may be responsible for increasing the risk of developing certain diseases.
Word Origin & History
From German Gen, from Ancient Greek γενεά (geneá, “generation, descent”), from the aorist infinitive of γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “to come into being”). Coined by Danish botanist Wilhelm Ludwig Johannsen in 1909, in a German-language publication, from the last syllable of pangene.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes cannot be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation."
— 2013 June 21, Karen McVeigh, “US rules human genes can't be patented”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 10:
"A length of DNA is divided into segments called chromosomes and shorter individual units called genes."
— 2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 7:
"One way to define a gene (there are many, and they are not all equivalent) is as the bit of DNA that contains the information needed to make a specific protein or a functional RNA molecule."
— 2025, The Economist staff, “Primer 1: Nucleic acids and proteins”, in The Economist (Biology Primers series), retrieved 18 Oct 2025:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The scientist studied how the ____ for eye color is passed from parents to children.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Scientists have identified a specific ____ that may be responsible for increasing the risk of developing certain diseases.