Phrase guide

ribonucleic acid

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A derivative of DNA having ribose in place of deoxyribose, and uracil in place of thymine; its primary function is in the transcription of genetic material and subsequent synthesis of protein.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biochemistry, biology, chemistry, microbiology, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

(biochemistry) a long linear polymer of nucleotides found in the nucleus but mainly in the cytoplasm of a cell where it is associated with microsomes; it transmits genetic information from DNA to the cytoplasm and controls certain chemical processes in the cell

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • ribonucleic acid is the genetic material of some viruses

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: RNA

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: polymer

Narrower terms: messenger RNA, mRNA, template RNA, informational RNA, nuclear RNA, nRNA, transfer RNA, tRNA, acceptor RNA, soluble RNA

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: рибонуклеи́нова киселина́ (ribonukleínova kiseliná) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Catalan: àcid ribonucleic — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Chinese Cantonese: 核糖核酸 (hat6 tong4 hat6 syun1) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Hakka Chinese: 核糖核酸 (fu̍t-thòng fu̍t-sôn) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Chinese Mandarin: 核糖核酸 (hétáng hésuān) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Czech: ribonukleová kyselina — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Finnish: ribonukleiinihappo — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • French: acide ribonucléique — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Georgian: რიბონუკლეინის მჟავა (ribonuḳleinis mžava) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • German: Ribonukleinsäure (RNS f) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Hungarian: ribonukleinsav — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Icelandic: ríbósakjarnsýra — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Irish: aigéad ribeanúicléasach — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Italian: acido ribonucleico — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Japanese: リボ核酸 (ribokakusan) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Kazakh: рибонуклеин қышқылы (ribonuklein qyşqyly) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Korean: 리보핵산 (ribohaeksan) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Northern Kurdish: asîda rîbonukleyî — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Latin: acidum ribonucleicum — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Malay: asid ribonukleik — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Mongolian: рибонуклейн хүчил (ribonuklejn xüčil) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Mongolian: бөөм чихрийн бөөм хүчил (bööm čixriin bööm xüčil) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Mongolian: ᠪᠥᠭᠡᠮ ᠰᠢᠬᠢᠷ ᠦᠨ ᠪᠥᠭᠡᠮ ᠬᠦᠴᠢᠯ (bögem sikir-ün bögem küčil) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Polish: kwas rybonukleinowy — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Portuguese: ácido ribonucleico — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Romanian: acid ribonucleic — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Russian: рибонуклеи́новая кислота́ (ribonukleínovaja kislotá) — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Spanish: ácido ribonucleico — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Swedish: ribonukleinsyra — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material
  • Turkish: ribonükleik asit — derivative of DNA, used in the transcription of genetic material