epistasis

E1P3I1S1T1A1S1I1S1
/ɪˈpɪstəsɪs/

noun

The modification of the expression of a gene by another unrelated one.

Similar
hypostasis
OriginAncient Greek ἐπίστασις →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounepistasis (countable and uncountable, plural epistases)

plural epistases

  1. countableuncountablebiologyThe modification of the expression of a gene by another unrelated one.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe suppression of a gene by the effect of an unrelated gene

Similar
hypostasis
Broader
organic processbiological process
Also see
hypostasis

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἐπίστασις“stopping”
  2. Englishepistasis

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐπίστασις (epístasis, “stopping”), from ἐφίστημι (ephístēmi, “stop”), from ἐφ- (eph-) + ἵστημι (hístēmi, “make to stand”). The use in genetics was coined by English biologist William Bateson in 1909 in his book Mendel's Principles of Heredity.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan epístasi
  • epístasiTranslations
Finnish epistasia
  • epistasiaTranslations
French épistasie
  • épistasieTranslations
German Epistase
  • EpistaseTranslations
Hindi प्रबलता
  • प्रबलता (prabaltā)Translations
Indonesian epistasis
  • epistasisTranslations
Korean 상위성
  • 상위성 (sang'wiseong)Translations
Polish epistaza
  • epistazaTranslations
Turkish epistazi
  • epistaziTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

epistasis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistasis

MLA

“epistasis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistasis. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epistasis,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistasis.

Source: epistasis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.