sylvatic
adjective
syl·vat·ic
sil-ˈva-tik 
1
: sylvan
sylvatic rodents
2
: occurring in or affecting wild animals
sylvatic diseases
Examples of sylvatic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The sylvatic plague, first introduced to the United States in the early 1900s, infects ferrets and prairie dogs through fleas.
—
Catherine Reagor, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2025
The ferrets were reintroduced only after scientists were able to combat the sylvatic plague, described by Game and Fish as one of the biggest threats to black-footed ferrets.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 1 Dec. 2024
The culprit was sylvatic plague, a bacterial disease that devastates both ferrets and their primary prey, Gunnison's prairie dogs.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
Shortly after, a new threat arose when a spread of sylvatic plague nearly wiped out the remaining ferrets, spreading from the prairie dogs the ferrets prey on.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 21 July 2022
These organisms form what’s known as the sylvatic, or forest, cycle of the virus.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Catherine Reagor, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2025
The ferrets were reintroduced only after scientists were able to combat the sylvatic plague, described by Game and Fish as one of the biggest threats to black-footed ferrets.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 1 Dec. 2024
The culprit was sylvatic plague, a bacterial disease that devastates both ferrets and their primary prey, Gunnison's prairie dogs.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
Shortly after, a new threat arose when a spread of sylvatic plague nearly wiped out the remaining ferrets, spreading from the prairie dogs the ferrets prey on.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 21 July 2022
These organisms form what’s known as the sylvatic, or forest, cycle of the virus.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Sylvatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sylvatic. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
sylvatic
adjective
syl·vat·ic
sil-ˈvat-ik
: occurring in, affecting, or transmitted by wild animals
sylvatic diseases
sylvatic yellow fever
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share