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
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.
In order to determine if the intriguing minerals were produced by microbial metabolism or an abiotic process, samples collected by the rover would need to be delivered to Earth for further analysis, team members have stressed. Andrew Jones, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025 The authors did consider some abiotic pathways for creating the compounds that were found in the Martian rock, and determined that those pathways were non-viable. Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 19 Sep. 2025 And yet, every clue has an abiotic escape hatch. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025 This change in pH is as drastic a change in the environment as temperature or any other abiotic factor. Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for abiotic

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abiotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abiotic. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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

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