biodiversity
noun
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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
Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
In the heart of the Amazon rainforest, the impact on rivers is shocking and experts are sounding the alarm on what this means for the region, a biodiversity hot spot and crucial climate change buffer.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Advertisement Earle advocated for the High Seas Treaty, a legal framework for protecting biodiversity in international waters, and continues to call for global efforts to protect oceans.
—Justin Worland, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Indiana has rich biodiversity with thousands of species in unique habitats, but the ornamental plant trade, globalization and development have introduced new threats to these ecosystems.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for biodiversity
Cite this Entry
“Biodiversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodiversity. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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biodiversity
noun
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