mutation

noun

Definition of mutationnext
1
as in modification
a significant and basic change The sculpture series underwent several mutations as the artist experimented with different materials and techniques.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in anomaly
something that is a result of a change in the genes of a plant or animal This coloration in the bird's plumage is a rare mutation.

Related Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of mutation In fact, genome doubling is the single most radical mutation an organism can experience in a single generation. — Carrie Arnold contributing, Quanta Magazine, 2 Sep. 2026 In people with the natural mutation, every cell in the body has the deactivated ANGPTL3 gene. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 Translation is a mutation of language, but not direct replication; something happens in the process that shifts the direction of the ideas. — Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026 Rasonque targets a mutation in a gene called KRAS that’s found in nearly all pancreatic cancers. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mutation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mutation
  1. modification
  2. anomaly
  3. alteration
  4. variation
  5. change
  6. rarity
  7. transformation
  8. variant
Noun
  • CycloRP aims to work with existing engines without requiring hardware modifications.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Today, Richard Engel reports on the modifications some Ukrainians have made to daily life in the midst of a full-scale war with Russia, namely how doctors, patients, teachers and students have moved underground.
    — Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of modification
Noun
  • The trick is invoking it selectively, on an anomaly or scheduled review, not on every data point.
    — Devendra Rajput, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • And that’s a mile away from the Ferrari of 2025, one that found success to be the anomaly, not the norm.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of anomaly
Noun
  • Most of these alterations are trivial, although one major change, coming near the end, is a very bad idea.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • At the Federal Center on Dearborn Street, post-9/11 security alterations have severely compromised one of the city’s most powerful urban designs.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of alteration
Noun
  • Minute variations in the hand engraving, together with individual numbering, mean no two examples are exactly identical.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Such color variations are thought to be associated with camouflage, protection against parasites and ultraviolet radiation, and the effects of pleiotropic genes (genes that influence more than one, usually unrelated, physical trait or phenotype).
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of variation
Noun
  • During the Brazilian’s tenure, there has been a significant degree of change well beyond his position and in the manager’s office.
    — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Lawmakers have been eyeing changes like prohibiting lawmakers from dating staff members, updating reporting systems and retaliation protections, and increasing educational and training resources.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of change
Noun
  • The durability of Meloni’s coalition has been a rarity in postwar Italy, where governments often have fallen before the end of their mandates.
    — Silvia Stellacci, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The durability of Meloni’s coalition has been a rarity in postwar Italy, where governments have often fallen before the end of their mandates.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of rarity
Noun
  • The government’s achievement caps a political transformation that has moved the Italian leader from outsider to establishment figure since becoming Italy’s first female prime minister in 2022.
    — Silvia Stellacci, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • During the transformation the gases escape, dragging dust and ice particles off the surface with them.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of transformation
Noun
  • Each score is broken down into the processes driving it, showing whether a variant is flagged for splicing, gene expression or protein change.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The Pro Max packs a 10,000-mAh silicon-carbon battery (with 16% silicon content), while certain markets get a 9,210-mAh variant engineered for the same long-term battery performance.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of variant

Browse Nearby Words

mutating
mutation
mutations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mutation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mutation. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on mutation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mutation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of patina

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All