biology

noun

bi·​ol·​o·​gy bī-ˈä-lə-jē 

1

: a branch of knowledge that deals with living organisms and vital processes

advances in the field of biology

a biology textbook

2

a

: the plant and animal life of a region or environment

the biology of the rainforest

b

: the life processes especially of an organism or group

the biology of cancer cells

broadly : ecology

biologist

bī-ˈä-lə-jist 

noun

Examples of biology in a Sentence

advances in the field of biology

the biology of the rain forest

the biology of tumor cells

Recent Examples on the Web

For Hernandez, a second-year neuroscience student at UC Santa Cruz, the technology offers a hands-on extension of her biology classes. —Olivia Maule, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025

Decades of textbook biology may need to be rewritten after an imaging study has revealed that hair does not grow by being pushed out from the root, as previously believed—but is pulled upward by coordinated moving cells. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025

Researchers discovered sugars essential for biology, including glucose, in the asteroid material for the first time. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025

Precision meets biology Robotic arms positioned near the patient’s head executed corneal incisions and lens removal using interchangeable microsurgical tools. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

German Biologie, from bi- + -logie -logy

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing biology

• cell biology
• developmental biology
• evolutionary biology
• evolutionary developmental biology
• molecular biology

Rhymes for biology

• anthology
• apology
• astrology
• christology
• chronology
• conchology
• cosmology
• cryptology
• cytology
• doxology
• ecology
• ethnology

Kids Definition

biology

noun

bi·​ol·​o·​gy bī-ˈäl-ə-jē 

1

: a branch of knowledge that deals with living organisms and life processes

2

a

: the plant and animal life of a region or environment

b

: the life processes of an organism or group

biologist

-jəst 

noun

Etymology

from German Biologie "biology," derived from Greek bi-, bio- "life" and -logia "study, science"

Medical Definition

biology

noun

bi·​ol·​o·​gy -jē 

plural biologies

1

: a branch of science that deals with living organisms and vital processes

2

a

: the plant and animal life of a region or environment

b

: the laws and phenomena relating to an organism or group

3

: a treatise on biology