biodegradable
adjective
Ruth Lampi
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In biodegradable, with its root grad, "to step or move", and its prefix de- "downward", we get an adjective describing things that can be broken down into basic substances through normal environmental processes. Animal and plant products are normally biodegradable, but mineral substances such as metals, glass, and plastics usually are not. Newly developed biodegradable plastics are now appearing in numerous products. However, "biodegradable" products can vary greatly in how long they take to break down. A loaf of bread may require only a couple of weeks, and a piece of paper may vanish in a couple of months, but some "biodegradable" plastic milk cartons may take four or five years.
Examples of biodegradable in a Sentence
Charlie Campbell, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
The hotel also partners with the international nonprofit organization Join the Pipe, providing each guest with a reusable water bottle made from biodegradable sugarcane that can be filled at one of the resort’s several water stations.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2025
In a potential milestone for space exploration, scientists have successfully grown algae under simulated Martian conditions using equipment made from biodegradable bioplastics — a step that could bring long-term space colonization closer to reality.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 July 2025
That suggests manufacturers could make strong, lightweight, biodegradable parts – such as shoe insoles, protective packaging and even interior panels for cars – simply by guiding how a fungus grows rather than by mixing in harder additives.
—Mohamed Khalil Elhachimi, The Conversation, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for biodegradable
Cite this Entry
“Biodegradable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodegradable. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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biodegradable
adjective
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biodegradable
adjective
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