biosecurity

noun

bio·​se·​cu·​ri·​ty ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-si-ˈkyu̇r-ə-tē 

: security from exposure to harmful biological agents

also : measures taken to ensure this security

Examples of biosecurity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The collaboration came about after Citrini ran into Claude’s biosecurity guardrails while trying to get the model to research drug candidates. — Robert Hart, The Verge, 22 Oct. 2026

The control and containment largely amounts to culling birds when H5N1 is detected on farms, and paying farms to improve their biosecurity by compensating them for things like repairs, rodent control, handwashing stations, and wild bird repellents. — Kenny Torrella, Vox, 20 Oct. 2026

Google plans to combine its robotic control framework with molecular discovery workflows, with human oversight and biosecurity screening retained throughout the process. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

The White House accord is an important acknowledgment that biosecurity belongs at the center of the AI safety conversation. — Raj Panjabi, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for biosecurity

• immaturity
• insecurity
• prematurity
• cybersecurity
• impurity
• maturity
• obscurity
• security
• purity
• surety

Medical Definition

biosecurity

noun

bio·​se·​cu·​ri·​ty ˌbī-ō-si-ˈkyu̇r-ə-tē 

: security from exposure to harmful biological agents (such as pathogenic microorganisms)

You would expect the organisation responsible for ensuring biosecurity in labs working with dangerous animal pathogens like foot and mouth disease to know about any accidents that have occurred in those labs.

—Linda Geddes, New Scientist

also : measures taken to ensure this security

In areas where poultry farms are on adjoining or nearby properties or in areas tied together by common waterways, roads, or flyways, the risk of disease spread from one farm to another is greatly increased no matter what type of biosecurity is practiced by individual farms.

—Carol J. Cardona, in Avian Influenza