- 1[uncountable, countable] (biology) a process in which the genetic material of a person, a plant, or an animal changes in structure when it is passed on to children, etc., causing different physical characteristics to develop; a change of this kind cells affected by mutation genetic mutations
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- 2[uncountable, countable] a change in the form or structure of something (linguistics) vowel mutation In Celtic languages such as Welsh, there is a process of mutation affecting the beginning sound of a word, according to the word which comes before it. the mutation of ethnic politics into nationalist politics
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