biosphere

noun

bio·​sphere ˈbī-ə-ˌsfir 

1

: the part of the world in which life can exist

2

: living organisms together with their environment

biospheric

ˌbī-ə-ˈsfir-ik 

-ˈsfer-

-ˈsfe-rik

adjective

Did you know?

The lithosphere is the solid surface of the earth (lith- meaning "rock"); the hydrosphere is the earth's water (hydro- means "water"), including the clouds and water vapor in the air; and the atmosphere is the earth's air (atmos- meaning "vapor"). The term biosphere can include all of these, along with the 10 million species of living things they contain. The biosphere recycles its air, water, organisms, and minerals constantly to maintain an amazingly balanced state; human beings should probably do their best to imitate it. Though the word has a new sound to it, it was first used over a hundred years ago.

Examples of biosphere in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Intensifying deforestation in the Amazon, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest in Brazil — all unique and critically important biospheres — threaten migratory species like the veery, researchers said, highlighting the need for conservation measures. —Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025

But plate tectonics won't maintain the biosphere forever. —Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2025

For example, our DNA — and the DNA of all other animals in our biosphere — is universally right-handed. —Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 15 Sep. 2025

These shifting climates intimately shaped the biosphere over this span (and vice versa), and in occasional terrifying pulses, threatened to end it. —Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Biosphäre, from bio- bio- + -sphäre -sphere

Note: Biosphäre was introduced by the Austrian geologist Eduard Suess (1831-1914) in Die Entstehung der Alpen (Vienna, 1875), p. 159.

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for biosphere

• headgear
• midyear
• nazir
• reindeer
• tuyere
• acyclovir
• asthenosphere
• ganciclovir
• magnetosphere
• atmosphere
• centromere
• chemosphere

Kids Definition

biosphere

noun

bio·​sphere ˈbī-ə-ˌsfi(ə)r 

: the part of the world in which life can exist

Medical Definition

biosphere

noun

bio·​sphere ˈbī-ə-ˌsfi(ə)r 

1

: the part of the world in which life can exist

2

: living beings together with their environment