What does chimeric mean?
Chimeric describes things composed of disparate or contradictory parts. In its older, figurative sense it means wildly improbable, illusory, or fanciful — a chimeric plan being an ambitious dream detached from reality. In modern science the word has taken on a precise and important meaning: a chimeric organism or molecule contains components derived from genetically distinct sources, as in chimeric animals produced by combining embryonic cells, or chimeric proteins engineered in the laboratory. The most celebrated example is CAR T-cell therapy, which uses chimeric antigen receptors to equip a patient's own immune cells with new targeting ability against cancer. The word derives from the Chimera of Greek mythology, a fire-breathing monster part lion, part goat, and part serpent. Chimeric is formal in register; figuratively it usually implies criticism or skepticism, while scientifically it is a neutral term of art.
Wildly fanciful, illusory, or improbable; existing only as a chimera.
"His chimeric visions of instant wealth led him into a series of doomed ventures."
Often pejorative, suggesting plans or hopes divorced from reality.
(Biology) Composed of genetically distinct cells, tissues, or molecular segments originating from different individuals or sources.
"The researchers engineered chimeric antibodies by fusing mouse-derived variable regions onto human antibody frameworks."
Standard technical usage in genetics, immunology, and biotechnology.
The word for something impossible is now the name of one of modern medicine's biggest breakthroughs: CAR T-cell therapy uses 'chimeric antigen receptors' to reprogram immune cells to fight cancer.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chimeric
Chimeric derives from 'chimera', ultimately from Greek 'Khimaira', the mythological monster composed of lion, goat, and serpent parts. English adopted 'chimera' via Latin in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, and adjectives such as 'chimerical' arose by the seventeenth century to describe fanciful or impossible notions, with 'chimeric' emerging as a variant form. In the twentieth century, developmental biology repurposed the word precisely: organisms made of cells from more than one genetic lineage became known as chimeras, giving 'chimeric' its modern technical sense. Related forms include 'chimerical', 'chimerically', and 'chimerism'.
Related word forms
How chimeric is actually used
Register is formal to technical. The figurative sense (fanciful, illusory) is somewhat literary and often carries a negative connotation of impracticality. The biological sense is neutral and standard in genetics, immunology, and biotechnology.
Easily confused with chimeric
Both derive from 'chimera', but 'chimerical' means purely illusory or wildly fanciful, while 'chimeric' is also the standard scientific term for organisms or molecules combining genetic material from different sources.