epigenome
noun
epi·ge·nome
ˌe-pə-ˈjē-ˌnōm 
: the complement of chemical compounds that modify the expression and function of the genome
Access to the genes is controlled by the epigenome, a layer of millions of proteins and other marks that attach themselves to the genome.—
Nicholas Wade
Nicholas WadeWorking out which genes are switched on or not involves looking at the epigenome, or the chemical "methyl" tags attached to genes.—New Scientist
New ScientistExamples of epigenome in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The changes are etched into the cells’ epigenome, the instructions that tell each cell to read specific genes that control their function, explains Ferdinand von Meyenn, who studies nutrition and metabolic epigenetics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.
—Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 26 Feb. 2026
The senescent cell that lingers after radiation, the exhausted T cells that cannot mount immune responses, the disordered epigenome of a tumor cell: These are familiar landscapes.
—Gilberto Lopes, STAT, 12 Feb. 2026
Now, in a new review article, researchers at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) have investigated how gut bacteria can affect our epigenome – the chemical tags on DNA and RNA that turn genes on or off without altering the underlying genetic code.
—New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2025
During methylation, a methyl group in the epigenome turns genes off.
—Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
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Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 26 Feb. 2026
The senescent cell that lingers after radiation, the exhausted T cells that cannot mount immune responses, the disordered epigenome of a tumor cell: These are familiar landscapes.
—Gilberto Lopes, STAT, 12 Feb. 2026
Now, in a new review article, researchers at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) have investigated how gut bacteria can affect our epigenome – the chemical tags on DNA and RNA that turn genes on or off without altering the underlying genetic code.
—New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2025
During methylation, a methyl group in the epigenome turns genes off.
—Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epigenome
Cite this Entry
“Epigenome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epigenome. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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