What does genomic mean?
Genomic is an adjective meaning relating to the genome, the complete set of genetic material in an organism or cell. It is used in biology, medicine, genetics, and biotechnology to describe the structure, sequencing, analysis, or variation of this material. Common expressions include genomic data, genomic sequence, genomic analysis, and genomic instability. The word is generally more specific than genetic: genetic may refer broadly to genes, heredity, or inherited characteristics, whereas genomic emphasizes the genome as a whole. In clinical and research contexts, genomic analysis can reveal mutations, chromosomal changes, and other features of an organism’s genetic makeup. The term is formal and technical, but it is now familiar beyond specialist laboratories through developments in precision medicine, evolutionary biology, agriculture, and public discussions of inherited disease.
adjectiveRelating to the genome, the complete set of genetic material in an organism or cell. In biology and medicine, it often refers to the analysis, structure, or study of this genetic information.
- Relating to the genome or to the complete set of genetic material in an organism or cell.
"The researchers used genomic analysis to identify rare mutations associated with the disease."
"Genomic sequencing revealed that the tumor contained an unusual rearrangement of chromosomes."
"The museum's archive includes genomic data from several historically important plant varieties."
While a gene is one instruction, the genome is the complete instruction manual—and “genomic” is the word for studying that manual in full.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does genomic come from?
Genomic derives from genome, which in turn comes from the Greek root genos, meaning “kind,” “race,” or “origin,” combined with a suffix forming the scientific term genome. The related words genetic, genetics, genotype, and genotypic developed from the same Greek and Latin scientific vocabulary. Genomic entered modern biological usage as a specialized adjective referring to the complete genetic material of an organism or cell.
Related word forms
How genomic is actually used
Formal and technical, especially common in biology, genetics, medicine, and biotechnology. It is often used with words such as data, sequence, analysis, variation, and instability. The adjective is more specific than the broader word genetic when the focus is on the genome as a whole.
Easily confused with genomic
Genome is the noun for the complete set of genetic material, whereas genomic is the adjective describing anything relating to that material.
Genetic is a broader term relating to genes or inheritance, while genomic more specifically emphasizes the genome as a whole.