abiotic

adjective

abi·​ot·​ic ˌā-(ˌ)bī-ˈä-tik How to pronounce abiotic (audio)
: not biotic : abiological
the abiotic environment

Examples of abiotic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Entirely abiotic processes can produce organic compounds. Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 26 July 2024 So far, scientists haven’t managed to come up with an abiotic explanation for oxygen-methane biosignatures. Elise Cutts, WIRED, 7 Apr. 2024 Continued abiotic reactions with formate could produce larger organic compounds like amino acids, which can be strung together into molecules essential for life, such as enzymes and other proteins. Quanta Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024 Organic carbon can be abiotic – that is, unrelated to a living organism. Amy J. Williams, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for abiotic 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abiotic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

a- entry 2 + biotic

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of abiotic was in 1870

Dictionary Entries Near abiotic

Cite this Entry

“Abiotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abiotic. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

abiotic

adjective
abi·​ot·​ic ˌā-bī-ˈät-ik How to pronounce abiotic (audio)
: not living or composed of living things
water and rock are abiotic

Medical Definition

abiotic

adjective
abi·​ot·​ic ˌā-(ˌ)bi-ˈät-ik How to pronounce abiotic (audio)
: not biotic : abiological
the abiotic environment
abiotically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on abiotic

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!