allele

noun

al·​lele ə-ˈlēl How to pronounce allele (audio)
1
: any of the alternative forms of a gene that may occur at a given locus (see locus sense 3)
2
: either of a pair of alternative Mendelian characters (see character entry 1 sense 1c(2)) (such as smooth and wrinkled seed in the pea)
allelic
ə-ˈlē-lik How to pronounce allele (audio)
-ˈle-
adjective
allelism
ə-ˈlē-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce allele (audio)
-ˈle-
noun

Examples of allele in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Cahn said that, for each gene, a cat inherits one copy, called an allele, from each parent. — Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025 Most people who acquire type 1 diabetes have at least one of two specific-risk-conferring gene variants, or alleles, in this region. — Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025 Individuals carrying the greatest proportion of morningness alleles wake, on average, 25 minutes earlier than those with the fewest — a modest but measurable biological signature, written into the genome. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for allele

Word History

Etymology

perhaps as back-formation from allelism, from allel- (in allelomorph) + -ism

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of allele was in 1921

Phrases Containing allele

Browse Nearby Words

allegro form
allele
allelo-
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Allele.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allele. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

allele

noun
al·​lele ə-ˈlē(ə)l How to pronounce allele (audio)
: one of several forms of a gene that determine alternate forms of one or more genetic traits and occupy identical places on two chromosomes having the same genes arranged in the same order
allelic
-ˈlē-lik How to pronounce allele (audio)
-ˈlel-ik
adjective

Medical Definition

allele

noun
al·​lele ə-ˈlē(ə)l How to pronounce allele (audio)
1
: any of the alternative forms of a gene that may occur at a given locus
2
: either of a pair of alternative Mendelian characters (as ability versus inability to taste the chemical phenylthiocarbamide)
allelic
-ˈlē-lik How to pronounce allele (audio) -ˈlel-ik How to pronounce allele (audio)
adjective
allelism
-ˈlē(ə)l-ˌiz-əm How to pronounce allele (audio) -ˈlel-ˌiz- How to pronounce allele (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on allele

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about allele

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All