allele

noun

al·​lele ə-ˈlēl 

1

: any of the alternative forms of a gene that may occur at a given locus (see locus sense 3)

2

: either of a pair of alternative Mendelian characters (see character entry 1 sense 1b(3)) (such as smooth and wrinkled seed in the pea)

allelic

ə-ˈlē-lik 

-ˈle-

adjective

allelism

ə-ˈlē-ˌli-zəm 

-ˈle-

noun

Examples of allele in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cahn said that, for each gene, a cat inherits one copy, called an allele, from each parent. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025

Notably, the bitter sensitive alleles were also nominally associated with chronic kidney diseases and a range of markers of kidney health, including urinary proline betaine levels, glomerular filtration rate, serum non-albumin protein, and glucose levels 2 h after an oral glucose challenge. —Bronwyn Thompson, New Atlas, 15 June 2025

This loss is often accelerated by human activities and can occur at various levels, including the reduction of individual genes, allele frequencies, and entire populations or varieties. —Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

The cognitive and neurodegenerative changes were greater for participants who carried the APOE-e4 allele, which is a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 15 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

perhaps as back-formation from allelism, from allel- (in allelomorph) + -ism

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing allele

• multiple allele

Rhymes for allele

• belly
• deli
• felly
• jelly
• kellie
• melly
• nellie
• nelly
• shelly
• skelly
• smellie
• smelly

Kids Definition

allele

noun

al·​lele ə-ˈlē(ə)l 

: one of several forms of a gene that determine alternate forms of one or more genetic traits and occupy identical places on two chromosomes having the same genes arranged in the same order

allelic

-ˈlē-lik 

-ˈlel-ik

adjective

Medical Definition

allele

noun

al·​lele ə-ˈlē(ə)l 

1

: any of the alternative forms of a gene that may occur at a given locus

2

: either of a pair of alternative Mendelian characters (as ability versus inability to taste the chemical phenylthiocarbamide)

allelic

-ˈlē-lik  -ˈlel-ik 

adjective

allelism

-ˈlē(ə)l-ˌiz-əm  -ˈlel-ˌiz- 

noun