fauna

noun

fau·​na ˈfȯ-nə 

ˈfä-

plural faunas also faunae ˈfȯ-ˌnē  -ˌnī 

ˈfä-

: animal life

especially : the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment

the diverse fauna of the island

compare flora

faunal

ˈfȯ-nᵊl 

ˈfä-

adjective

faunally adverb

Did you know?

Faunus and Fauna were the Roman woodland god and goddess for whom animals were a particular concern. Faunus was the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan, and like Pan, he had goats' legs. Their goat-legged helpers, called fauns, were known for their love of pleasure and mischief. The fauna of a continent are often very similar across a broad east-west band; from north to south, however, they may vary greatly.

Examples of fauna in a Sentence

studying the diverse fauna of the island

studying the faunas of different islands

Recent Examples on the Web

Paintings passed down vital wisdom about flora and fauna while candidly documenting the full spectrum of human life—from group dances and hunts to intimacy, reproductive cycles, and rituals. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026

Furthermore, the discovery reinforces Rio Grande do Sul’s status as one of the world’s most important regions for the study of Triassic fauna. — The Conversation, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026

Following a recent upgrade, the area by the parking lot now has photographs and descriptions of local flora and fauna. — Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026

Her descriptions of the UP’s flora and fauna underpin and enrich scene after scene, with a symbolic (and for Les Becquets, personally significant) bird headlining each section of the book. — The Know, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin Fauna, sister of Faunus

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fauna

• ana
• bwana
• dhyana
• donna
• gonna
• jnana
• mana
• sauna
• tswana
• wanna
• asana
• chicana

Kids Definition

fauna

noun

fau·​na ˈfȯn-ə 

ˈfän-

plural faunas also faunae -ˌē 

-ˌī

: animals or animal life especially of a region, period, or environment

faunal

-ᵊl 

adjective

Medical Definition

fauna

noun

fau·​na ˈfȯn-ə, ˈfän- 

plural faunas also faunae -ˌē  -ˌī 

: animal life

especially : the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment compare flora sense 1

faunal

-ᵊl 

adjective

faunally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb