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

Besides 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

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

Examples of genetic engineering in a Sentence

The crops were made resistant to disease by genetic engineering.

Recent Examples on the Web

The field of genetic engineering itself has flourished because of this commitment to incremental improvements, allowing scientists to refine therapies and ensure their effectiveness before large-scale deployment. —Kristofer Mussar, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025

And none of that touches Colossal’s core expertise in cellular and genetic engineering, which has uncounted applications in the biomed domain, including treating and preventing diseases. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025

What do genetic engineering, Hollywood and animal conservation have in common? —Degen Pener, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019

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

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for genetic engineering

• adhering
• appearing
• careering
• cohering
• endearing
• inhering
• prehearing
• rehearing
• veneering
• bioengineering
• cheering
• clearing

Kids Definition

genetic engineering

noun

: the alteration of genetic material and especially the cutting up and joining together of DNA from one or more species for introduction into a living thing in order to change one or more of its characteristics

genetically engineered adjective

genetic engineer noun

Medical Definition

genetic engineering

noun

-ˌen-jə-ˈnir-iŋ 

: 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

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

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