biodiversity
noun
Did you know?
Biodiversity may become the rallying call for the next decade, wrote David Wake in the journal Science in 1989. Indeed, biodiversity is a word you're likely to encounter in writing about ecology and the environment today. But when Wake used it, "biodiversity" was still a relatively new addition to the English language, having first appeared in writing in the mid-1980s. Of course, the roots of biodiversity are much older. It evolved from a commingling of the descendants of the Greek noun bios, which means "mode of life," and the Latin verb divertere, which means "to turn aside" or "to go different ways."
Examples of biodiversity in a Sentence
Ryan Kellman, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
These partnerships help highlight the series’ themes, promoting the discovery of the wonders hidden in the French forests and beyond, but also emphasizing respect for biodiversity, and the importance of food education for children.
—Kevin Giraud, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
But Jacobs, a biodiversity adviser in the Netherlands, is one of a growing number of fortunate underwater explorers.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
The multi-stakeholder group attributed the low figure to issues around price and availability, as well as lingering questions about the sustainability of current versions, which can carry impacts on land, communities, biodiversity and soil health that haven’t been fully measured.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for biodiversity
Cite this Entry
“Biodiversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodiversity. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
biodiversity
noun
