Illustration of koala
: an Australian arboreal marsupial (Phascolarctos cinereus) that has a broad head, large hairy ears, dense gray fur, and sharp claws and feeds on eucalyptus leaves
called also koala bear
Examples of koala in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The mixed animal edition has guest appearances by koalas, ducklings, and other cute critters.
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Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 24 Oct. 2023
Get up close and personal with Australia's unique wildlife on Kangaroo Island's nature reserve and see koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, fur seals, penguins, and kookaburras.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2023
Powell and Bindi have also shared photos of their daughter’s animal encounters, including pictures of Grace next to kangaroos, tortoises and a koala.
—Alexandra Hurtado, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
This time, the researchers looked at preserved and frozen mammal specimens from the Western Australian Museum collection, frozen platypus and Tasmanian devil specimens from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and koalas and echidnas from the Australian city of Yanchep.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2023
But Australian wildlife officials predicted koalas — notorious for chilling out in trees, stoned on eucalyptus — wouldn’t figure them out.
—Martha Shade, CNN, 8 Oct. 2023
Explore the coastal trail that runs through Noosa National Park and keep your eyes peeled for resident koalas hanging out in the trees.
—Karen I. Chen, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2023
Now imagine that same koala, or one quite like it, weighing in at a much more manageable (and potentially cuter) six pounds.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
While Australia does have an impressive array of particularly charismatic examples — Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, koalas, wombats, wallabies and bandicoots, to name a few — these comprise roughly 70 percent of the world’s population, with the other 30 percent hailing from the Americas.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
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Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 24 Oct. 2023
Get up close and personal with Australia's unique wildlife on Kangaroo Island's nature reserve and see koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, fur seals, penguins, and kookaburras.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2023
Powell and Bindi have also shared photos of their daughter’s animal encounters, including pictures of Grace next to kangaroos, tortoises and a koala.
—Alexandra Hurtado, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
This time, the researchers looked at preserved and frozen mammal specimens from the Western Australian Museum collection, frozen platypus and Tasmanian devil specimens from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and koalas and echidnas from the Australian city of Yanchep.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2023
But Australian wildlife officials predicted koalas — notorious for chilling out in trees, stoned on eucalyptus — wouldn’t figure them out.
—Martha Shade, CNN, 8 Oct. 2023
Explore the coastal trail that runs through Noosa National Park and keep your eyes peeled for resident koalas hanging out in the trees.
—Karen I. Chen, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2023
Now imagine that same koala, or one quite like it, weighing in at a much more manageable (and potentially cuter) six pounds.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
While Australia does have an impressive array of particularly charismatic examples — Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, koalas, wombats, wallabies and bandicoots, to name a few — these comprise roughly 70 percent of the world’s population, with the other 30 percent hailing from the Americas.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'koala.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Dharuk (Australian aboriginal language of the Port Jackson area) gula, gulawanʸ
First Known Use
1802, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near koala
Cite this Entry
“Koala.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/koala. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
koala
noun
ko·ala
kō-ˈäl-ə 
kə-ˈwäl-ə
: an Australian tree-dwelling marsupial mammal that has large hairy ears, thick gray fur, sharp claws for climbing, and no tail and feeds on eucalyptus leaves
called also koala bear
More from Merriam-Webster on koala
Nglish: Translation of koala for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about koala
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