: 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
Flora and fauna abound and interacting with all of it, there’s Irakli, the type of guy who keeps kibble in the car to feed passing mutts, and who delays his departure from one village to say goodbye to a donkey.
—
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025
One of the best ways to see your fill of the region's flora and fauna is at this state park located a short drive outside of Sarasota.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 Aug. 2025
The series sets the various human and humanoid segments of its cast on a direct course with the distinctly inhuman alien flora and fauna on the ship – there are some inventive little monsters aboard, disgusting and harrowing in their own special ways – to great effect.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Staying with the theme of flora and fauna, the château also spotlights generative artworks, like Miguel Chevalier’s poetic, luminous, and digital homage to Monet, Meta-Nature AI Quatre Saison.
—Manali Doshi, AFAR Media, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fauna
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Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025
One of the best ways to see your fill of the region's flora and fauna is at this state park located a short drive outside of Sarasota.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 Aug. 2025
The series sets the various human and humanoid segments of its cast on a direct course with the distinctly inhuman alien flora and fauna on the ship – there are some inventive little monsters aboard, disgusting and harrowing in their own special ways – to great effect.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Staying with the theme of flora and fauna, the château also spotlights generative artworks, like Miguel Chevalier’s poetic, luminous, and digital homage to Monet, Meta-Nature AI Quatre Saison.
—Manali Doshi, AFAR Media, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fauna
Cite this Entry
“Fauna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fauna. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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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