biodiversity

noun

bio·​di·​ver·​si·​ty ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-də-ˈvər-sə-tē How to pronounce biodiversity (audio)
-dī-
: biological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals
biodiverse adjective

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

Recent Examples on the Web Regenerative farming is an agricultural method that aims to reduce the dependence on chemicals and promote biodiversity in crop and livestock raising. James Powel, USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024 By 2030, the Fund will distribute $10 billion to fight climate change and biodiversity loss. Freya Drohan, Vogue, 26 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for biodiversity 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'biodiversity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

bio- + diversity

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of biodiversity was in 1985

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Dictionary Entries Near biodiversity

Cite this Entry

“Biodiversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodiversity. Accessed 4 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

biodiversity

noun
bio·​di·​ver·​si·​ty -də-ˈvər-sət-ē How to pronounce biodiversity (audio)
-dī-
: biological variety in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals

More from Merriam-Webster on biodiversity

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