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

The Population Council is now working on another vaginal ring that replaces ethinylestradiol with hormones better matched to female biology. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024

While they aren’t required to have degrees or career backgrounds in wildlife biology or management, they are informed and guided by those who do: VDFW employees. —Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 20 Mar. 2024

Henri itself is a less likely target for hackers—it is built and used by the Flatiron Institute, a research facility run by the Simons Foundation that focuses on computational biology, mathematics, quantum physics, neuroscience, and astrophysics. —IEEE Spectrum, 20 Mar. 2024

Specialists from Sotheby’s, which co-sponsored the sale, appraised the obviously high-value items—diamond jewelry, Bob Mackie gowns—while Julien kept an eye out for objects with more personal qualities, such as her dictionary and her high-school biology workbook. —Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024

Winemakers have made the mustard plant work for them, said Megan Kathleen Bartlett, assistant professor of plant biology at the viticulture and enology department of the University of California, Davis. —Eric Risberg and Janie Har, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024

Drug development is more of a sprint than a marathon these days, thanks to more and better ways to target underlying biology and a more nuanced interpretation of precision medicine, three biotech leaders said at the STAT Breakthrough Summit East in New York Thursday. —Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 22 Mar. 2024

Initial four- to six-week programs that were developed using data in algebra and biology were too short for meaningful learning, Gould said. —Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024

Still, even after many decades of use, scientists don’t know how ECT alters the brain’s underlying biology. —Elizabeth Landau, Quanta Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

German Biologie, from bi- + -logie -logy

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing biology

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

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