epigenetic

American  

[ep-i-juh-net-ik] / ˌɛp ɪ dʒəˈnɛt ɪk /

adjective

1. Biology. of or relating to epigenesis, or the successive differentiation of undifferentiated cells in an embryo.

2. Genetics. noting or pertaining to epigenetics, specifically, the process by which the expression of genetic information is modified on a molecular level without a change to the DNA sequence.

   the epigenetic inheritance of longevity.

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epigenetic British  

/ ˌɛpɪdʒɪˈnɛtɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to epigenesis

2. denoting processes by which heritable modifications in gene function occur without a change in the sequence of the DNA

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Other Word Forms

• epigenetically adverb

Etymology

Origin of epigenetic

epi- + genetic

Example Sentences

Chitwood has invested in a company working on epigenetic reprogramming, a process that aims to restore cells to a youthful state by pulling a specific combination of genetic levers.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

For one thing, genes themselves aren’t changed by epigenetic experiences; rather, certain pre-existing genes are turned on or off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Previous research has shown that ongoing psychological distress can influence biological aging through epigenetic changes, which are shifts in how genes are turned on or off.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

Blood samples were also analyzed using two established epigenetic clocks.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

His description of chick development is of epigenetic bent: ...you may lay severall egges to hatch; and by breaking them at severall ages you may distinctly observe every hourely mutation in them, if you please.

From Medical Investigation in Seventeenth Century England Papers Read at a Clark Library Seminar, October 14, 1967 by Bodemer, Charles W.