recombination

noun

re·​com·​bi·​na·​tion ˌrē-ˌkäm-bə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce recombination (audio)
: the formation by the processes of crossing-over and independent assortment of new combinations of genes in progeny that did not occur in the parents
recombinational
ˌrē-ˌkäm-bə-ˈnā-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce recombination (audio)
adjective

Examples of recombination 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.
When Ideas Become Free Progress has always been recombination. — Christian Catalini, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 Translocation is another structural change to chromosomal DNA that can happen, by chance, during recombination. — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 21 May 2026 Fast forward to 2025, and these tactics of recombination and pastiche have become well-established in experimental music, as artists reframe the odds and ends of the past and present through contemporary insight. — H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026 The modern population of Hainan gibbons display high local genomic recombination, beneficial functional variations and low genetic load, the researchers said. — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for recombination

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of recombination was in 1903

Rhymes for recombination

See All Rhymes for recombination

Browse Nearby Words

recombinant DNA
recombination
recombine
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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Kids Definition

recombination

noun
re·​com·​bi·​na·​tion ˌrē-ˌkäm-bə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce recombination (audio)
: the formation of new combinations of genes

Medical Definition

recombination

noun
re·​com·​bi·​na·​tion ˌrē-ˌkäm-bə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce recombination (audio)
: the formation by the processes of crossing-over and independent assortment of new combinations of genes in progeny that did not occur in the parents
recombinational
-shnəl, -shən-ᵊl How to pronounce recombination (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on recombination

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about recombination

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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