biology

noun

bi·​ol·​o·​gy bī-ˈä-lə-jē 

1

: a branch of knowledge that deals with living organisms and vital processes

advances in the field of biology

a biology textbook

2

a

: the plant and animal life of a region or environment

the biology of the rainforest

b

: the life processes especially of an organism or group

the biology of cancer cells

broadly : ecology

biologist

bī-ˈä-lə-jist 

noun

Examples of biology in a Sentence

advances in the field of biology

the biology of the rain forest

the biology of tumor cells

Recent Examples on the Web

At Harvard University alone, George Church, a pioneer in human genomic research; physicist Lisa Randall; and Martin Nowak, a professor of mathematics and biology, have all come under intense scrutiny over their ties with Epstein. —Scott Neuman, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026

Danica Chen, a professor of metabolic biology, nutritional sciences and toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley, has been studying aging for more than 20 years. —Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 9 Mar. 2026

Alexandrov, who earned a doctorate in computational biology from Cambridge University in 2014, is no stranger to the organization. —Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026

At a high school in Apaxco, a teacher gives biology lessons assembling a skeleton made from bones found nearby. —John Hopewell, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

German Biologie, from bi- + -logie -logy

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing biology

• cell biology
• developmental biology
• evolutionary biology
• evolutionary developmental biology
• molecular biology

Rhymes for biology

• anthology
• apology
• astrology
• christology
• chronology
• conchology
• cosmology
• cryptology
• cytology
• doxology
• ecology
• ethnology

Kids Definition

biology

noun

bi·​ol·​o·​gy bī-ˈäl-ə-jē 

1

: a branch of knowledge that deals with living organisms and life processes

2

a

: the plant and animal life of a region or environment

b

: the life processes of an organism or group

biologist

-jəst 

noun

Etymology

from German Biologie "biology," derived from Greek bi-, bio- "life" and -logia "study, science"

Medical Definition

biology

noun

bi·​ol·​o·​gy -jē 

plural biologies

1

: a branch of science that deals with living organisms and vital processes

2

a

: the plant and animal life of a region or environment

b

: the laws and phenomena relating to an organism or group

3

: a treatise on biology