: animal life
especially
: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment
the diverse fauna of the island
compare flora
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
The park also includes fossilized flora and fauna, petroglyphs, wildflowers, colorful rock formations, and wildlife.
—
Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026
Knowledgeable staff rush to dig out books on native fauna from the 2,500-volume library, and housekeepers drop their brooms to point out a sayaca tanager’s nest or an earpod tree.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Apr. 2026
The animal and botanical attraction opened in 1936, featuring the natural flora and fauna of Florida with help from a few international tropical species.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
There’s a Mooi wallcovering where extinct animals hide within jungle fauna in one and a freestanding Aura by Antoniolupi sink that glows translucent yellow in the other.
—Sandra Barrera, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fauna
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Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026
Knowledgeable staff rush to dig out books on native fauna from the 2,500-volume library, and housekeepers drop their brooms to point out a sayaca tanager’s nest or an earpod tree.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Apr. 2026
The animal and botanical attraction opened in 1936, featuring the natural flora and fauna of Florida with help from a few international tropical species.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
There’s a Mooi wallcovering where extinct animals hide within jungle fauna in one and a freestanding Aura by Antoniolupi sink that glows translucent yellow in the other.
—Sandra Barrera, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fauna
Cite this Entry
“Fauna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fauna. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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Medical Definition
fauna
noun
fau·na
ˈfȯn-ə, ˈfän- 
: animal life
especially
: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment compare flora sense 1
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