biosphere

noun

bio·​sphere ˈbī-ə-ˌsfir 

1

: the part of the world in which life can exist

2

: living organisms together with their environment

biospheric

ˌbī-ə-ˈsfir-ik 

-ˈsfer-

-ˈsfe-rik

adjective

Did you know?

The lithosphere is the solid surface of the earth (lith- meaning "rock"); the hydrosphere is the earth's water (hydro- means "water"), including the clouds and water vapor in the air; and the atmosphere is the earth's air (atmos- meaning "vapor"). The term biosphere can include all of these, along with the 10 million species of living things they contain. The biosphere recycles its air, water, organisms, and minerals constantly to maintain an amazingly balanced state; human beings should probably do their best to imitate it. Though the word has a new sound to it, it was first used over a hundred years ago.

Examples of biosphere in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Among the limited number of dinosaurs remaining and residing in specialized biospheres, three of the creatures hold the key to a potentially life-saving drug. —Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025

But her latest research suggests that—much like the more celebrated dino-killing space-rock impact—this vastly greater and more ancient collision also had an upside, giving Earth’s early biosphere a powerful boost. —Douglas Fox, Scientific American, 21 Oct. 2024

Professor Wordsworth, meanwhile, says silica derived from Martian rocks could be transformed into aerogel to craft habitats and biospheres across these off-world bases. —Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025

But there’s still hope that the melt might reveal signs of Earth’s earliest biosphere. —Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Biosphäre, from bio- bio- + -sphäre -sphere

Note: Biosphäre was introduced by the Austrian geologist Eduard Suess (1831-1914) in Die Entstehung der Alpen (Vienna, 1875), p. 159.

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for biosphere

• headgear
• midyear
• nazir
• reindeer
• tuyere
• acyclovir
• asthenosphere
• ganciclovir
• magnetosphere
• atmosphere
• centromere
• chemosphere

Kids Definition

biosphere

noun

bio·​sphere ˈbī-ə-ˌsfi(ə)r 

: the part of the world in which life can exist

Medical Definition

biosphere

noun

bio·​sphere ˈbī-ə-ˌsfi(ə)r 

1

: the part of the world in which life can exist

2

: living beings together with their environment