non-biological
adjective
non-bi·o·log·i·cal
ˌnän-ˌbī-ə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 
variants
or nonbiological
: not biological: such as
a
: not relating to, marked by, or derived from life and living processes
non-biological reactions
non-biological materials
nonbiological methane
b
: not connected by genetic relationship
a non-biological parent
non-biologically
adverb
or nonbiologically
non-biologically produced materials
Examples of non-biological in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Scientists must first rule out any possible non-biological explanations for a discovery, meaning the discovery would have to be unexplained by any chemical or geological processes.
—
Mary Magnuson, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
The key question on their minds was whether any non-biological sources – such as a meteorite smashing into the Martian surface – could account for the existence of the fatty acids.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
This part’s easy; ruling out non-biological alternatives is hard.
—Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
The model successfully distinguished biological from non-biological materials with over 90% accuracy.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Nov. 2025
These rare steroids were linked to ancient sponges, but the findings sparked debate, with some suggesting alternative origins, including non-biological processes.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
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Mary Magnuson, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
The key question on their minds was whether any non-biological sources – such as a meteorite smashing into the Martian surface – could account for the existence of the fatty acids.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
This part’s easy; ruling out non-biological alternatives is hard.
—Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
The model successfully distinguished biological from non-biological materials with over 90% accuracy.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Nov. 2025
These rare steroids were linked to ancient sponges, but the findings sparked debate, with some suggesting alternative origins, including non-biological processes.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Non-biological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-biological. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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