threatened

adjective

threat·​ened ˈthre-tᵊnd How to pronounce threatened (audio)
: having an uncertain chance of continued survival
a threatened species
specifically : likely to become an endangered species

Examples of threatened in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Otherwise, the false claims by today’s hyper-confident chatbots and the wave of hyper-realistic fake videos will continue to exacerbate polarization, threaten real-world violence and further undermine our threatened democracy. Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025 The International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List categorized the bearded vulture in 2014 as near threatened. Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025 Grown men feel threatened and unsure, both in the workplace and outside it. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 Oct. 2025 The invasive species is dangerous to protected species in Florida, including the endangered Key Largo woodrat and the threatened wood stork. Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for threatened

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of threatened was in 1960

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Cite this Entry

“Threatened.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threatened. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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