pleiotropic
adjective
pleio·tro·pic
ˌplī-ə-ˈtrō-pik 
-ˈträ-
: producing more than one effect
especially
: having multiple phenotypic expressions
a pleiotropic gene
Examples of pleiotropic in a Sentence
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Consequently, the cumulative selective force acting over time on diverse traits caused by a single pleiotropic mutation could have driven the rise and spread of 370A.
—
Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 19 Feb. 2013
For example, the xol-1 mutant which produced maleless populations may have had pleiotropic effects.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 13 Jan. 2011
Stephen Hsu of Michigan State University, one of Genomic Prediction’s founders, acknowledges the theoretical risk of this, but argues that serious pleiotropic effects are unlikely.
—The Economist, 7 Nov. 2019
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Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 19 Feb. 2013
For example, the xol-1 mutant which produced maleless populations may have had pleiotropic effects.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 13 Jan. 2011
Stephen Hsu of Michigan State University, one of Genomic Prediction’s founders, acknowledges the theoretical risk of this, but argues that serious pleiotropic effects are unlikely.
—The Economist, 7 Nov. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Pleiotropic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pleiotropic. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
pleiotropic
adjective
pleio·tro·pic
ˌplī-ə-ˈtrōp-ik
-ˈträp-
-ˈträp-
: producing more than one effect
especially
: having multiple phenotypic expressions
a pleiotropic gene
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