biology

noun

bi·​ol·​o·​gy bī-ˈä-lə-jē How to pronounce biology (audio)
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 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
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.
More than 70 years ago, Antioch became the first community in California, joined by cities served by San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission, to add fluoride to its public water supply, according to a history of the state’s fluoridation by UCSF emeritus professor of oral biology Ernest Newbrun. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024 Akoya continues to focus on its spatial biology solutions, aiming to enhance existing products and develop new offerings to drive growth and market penetration. Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024 Although the exact dates of its arrival and discovery are unclear, the penny-sized bit of rock somehow found its way into a Purdue University biology department desk drawer, where faculty uncovered it in 1929. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024 All the other great startups and other people working in computational biology. Richard Nieva, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for biology 

Word History

Etymology

German Biologie, from bi- + -logie -logy

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of biology was in 1799

Dictionary Entries Near biology

Cite this Entry

“Biology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biology. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

biology

noun
bi·​ol·​o·​gy bī-ˈäl-ə-jē How to pronounce biology (audio)
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 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 How to pronounce biology (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on biology

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