mutation

UK: /mjuːˈteɪʃ^ən/ US: /mjuˈteɪʃən/ ,(myo̅o̅ tā′shən)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

mu•ta•tion /myuˈteɪʃən/   n. 

1. Genetics [Biology.]
   • sudden departure or change from the parent type, seen in offspring in one or more characteristics that have been inherited, caused by a change in a gene or a chromosome:
     [uncountable] Mutation can sometimes benefit a species.
     [countable] Some mutations may result in a change of color.
   • [countable] an individual, species, or the like resulting from such a change:
     a mutation that was much bigger than the rest.
2. a change or alteration, as in form or nature:
   [uncountable] the possibility of social mutation.
   [countable] economic mutations and other financial shifts.

mu•ta•tion•al, adj. See -mut-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

mu•ta•tion  (myo̅o̅ tā′shən), n. 

1. Genetics [Biol.]
   • a sudden departure from the parent type in one or more heritable characteristics, caused by a change in a gene or a chromosome.
   • an individual, species, or the like, resulting from such a departure.
2. the act or process of changing.
3. a change or alteration, as in form or nature.
4. Phonetics, Linguistics umlaut.
5. Linguistics (in Celtic languages) syntactically determined morphophonemic phenomena that affect initial sounds of words.

• Latin mūtātion- (stem of mūtātiō) a changing. See mutate, -ion
• Middle English mutacio(u)n 1325–75

mu•ta′tion•al, adj. 
mu•ta′tion•al•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

mutation / mjuːˈteɪʃən/ noun

1. the act or process of mutating; change; alteration
2. a change or alteration
3. a change in the chromosomes or genes of a cell. When this change occurs in the gametes the structure and development of the resultant offspring may be affected
4. another word for mutant1
5. a physical characteristic of an individual resulting from this type of chromosomal change
6. (in Germanic languages) another name for umlaut
7. (in Celtic languages) a phonetic change in certain initial consonants caused by a preceding word

muˈtational adjective

muˈtationally adverb