Genetic modification (GM) is a commonly used term for genetic engineering or GE – the addition of new traits by making direct changes to an organism's genetic makeup, for example, DNA, through intervention at the molecular level.

Scientists can change the characteristics of organisms by adding pieces of DNA from different sources, whole genes, or long pieces of DNA put together. 

The added genetic material is usually from unrelated species, but can be taken from the same or closely related species or newly created. Scientists can also alter traits by disrupting genes, deleting or changing small pieces of DNA, or adding genetic material to silence genes.

Unlike traditional breeding and hybridization, genetic engineering techniques are artificial laboratory techniques that directly interfere with the genome. The techniques enable the direct transfer of genes between organisms of different species or kingdoms that would never reproduce in nature, the introduction of new sequences not even found in nature, and direct intervention (as with gene editing) to cause changes in the genome.

The terms genetic engineering (GE) and genetic modification (GM) are both used to describe recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology. GM is a term used in international agreements and European regulations, as in many other English-speaking countries. 

GE is the term used in US legislation. The Canadian government uses both terms and instead regulates what it calls "Novel Crops" and "New Foods", which include products of traditional plant breeding as well as genetic engineering.

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