genetically modified

adjective

: having or containing DNA that has been altered artificially in order to express (see express entry 1 sense 4) or suppress (see suppress sense 6) a targeted trait or traits : being produced or altered by genetic modification

Three of the world's largest paper and lumber producers have formed a joint venture … that hopes to be the first group to commercialize genetically modified trees.

—Kathryn Brown

The USDA has approved a genetically modified purple tomato, clearing the path for the unique fruit to be sold in American stores next year.

—Zoe Sottile

In experiments on guinea pigs, scientists have used genetically modified human embryonic stem cells to make a biological pacemaker.

—D. Shiga

—abbreviation GM see also genetically modified organism

Examples of genetically modified in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The patient was brain-dead, and the procedure, which was performed in China, was a trial, but the organs — from a pig genetically modified to improve compatibility with human immune systems — were not immediately rejected. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 7 June 2026

Wolbachia does not make people or animals sick, and the mosquitoes are not genetically modified, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. —Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 4 June 2026

Are heirloom tomatoes genetically modified? —Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 May 2026

The herbicide is commonly applied to crops, such as corn and soybeans, that have been genetically modified to withstand its effects. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026

The product is free of gluten and genetically modified organisms. —Pubsubhub User, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026

Organic oils are also not genetically modified (non-GMO). —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026

The transplanted pig organs are genetically modified to control for rejection and size. —Nadia Kounang, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026

This chicken meat is not genetically modified nor is it created via a 3D printer. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for genetically modified

• abide
• allied
• applied
• aside
• astride
• azide
• backside
• bankside
• bastide
• bayside
• bedside
• belied

Medical Definition

genetically modified

adjective

: having or containing DNA that has been altered artificially in order to express (see express sense 3) or suppress (see suppress sense 3) a targeted trait or traits : being produced or altered by genetic modification

A 57-year-old man with nonischemic cardiomyopathy who … was not a candidate for standard therapeutics, including a traditional allograft, received a heart from a genetically modified pig … that had 10 individual gene edits.

—Bartley P. Griffith et al., The New England Journal of Medicine

—abbreviation GM see also genetically modified organism