mutate

verb

mutated; mutating

transitive verb

: to cause to undergo mutation
mutative adjective

Examples of mutate in a Sentence

a disease that mutates genes in humans a group of mutated genes Over time, her feelings mutated from hatred into love. opera singers mutating into pop stars
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The virus has mutated substantially on the mainland, on the other side of the causeway connecting the humans’ new island home. Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 21 June 2025 What began as a promising movement to democratize market access has mutated into a profit-extraction engine dressed up in UX and buzzwords. Daniel Schlaepfer, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025 For starters, the infected have mutated, transformed, and in some selective cases, evolved. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2025 In humans, p53 is inactive or mutated in about half of all cancers. Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mutate

Word History

Etymology

Latin mutatus, past participle of mutare

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of mutate was in 1818

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mutate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutate. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

mutate

verb
mu·​tate ˈmyü-ˌtāt How to pronounce mutate (audio)
mutated; mutating
: to undergo or cause to undergo mutation

Medical Definition

mutate

verb
mutated; mutating

transitive verb

: to cause to undergo mutation
mutative adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on mutate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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