mutation

C2+ Topic:Biology & Genetics

US /mjuˈteɪʃən/ UK /mjuːˈteɪʃən/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a change in form or structure, especially a heritable change in genetic material

A single mutation made the bacteria resistant to the drug.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a change in form or... change alteration transformation modification variation mutant

Opposites

stasis constancy permanence

Word family

Derived forms mutationalmutationally

Related forms mutate mutant mutable mutabilitypermutetransmute

Etymology

From Middle English mutacioun, from Old French mutacion, from Latin mutatio ('a changing'), from mutare ('to change'), from Proto-Indo-European *mei- ('to change, exchange').

mutatio Latin mutare Latin *mei- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Biology & Genetics Materials & Substances Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# mutation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /mjuˈteɪʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /mjuːˈteɪʃən/

## Meanings
1. a change in form or structure, especially a heritable change in genetic material

## Examples
- A single mutation made the bacteria resistant to the drug.

## Synonyms
- change
- alteration
- transformation
- modification
- variation
- mutant

## Antonyms
- stasis
- constancy
- permanence

## Derived Forms
- mutational
- mutationally

## Related Forms
- mutate
- mutant
- mutable
- mutability
- permute
- transmute

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: mutatio
- Root: mutare
- Root: *mei-

## Etymology
From Middle English mutacioun, from Old French mutacion, from Latin mutatio ('a changing'), from mutare ('to change'), from Proto-Indo-European *mei- ('to change, exchange').

## AI Etymology
Mutation comes from Middle English mutacioun, from Old French mutacion, from Latin mutatio ('a changing'), from mutare ('to change'), from Proto-Indo-European *mei- ('to change, exchange'). The etymological trail includes Latin mutatio, Latin mutare, and Proto-Indo-European *mei-. As a noun, mutation means a change in form or structure, especially a heritable change in genetic material. The same family is visible in derived forms such as mutational and mutationally and related forms such as mutate, mutant, mutable, mutability, permute, and transmute.

## Topics
- Biology & Genetics
- Materials & Substances
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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