threatened

adjective

threat·​ened ˈthre-tᵊnd 

: 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

Other artists – some who have sent cease-and-desist letters or threatened suits - include Aerosmith, Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, Phil Collins, Celine Dion, Olivia Rodrigo, John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Foo Fighters, Guns N' Roses, Elton John, Linkin Park, Panic! —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 12 June 2026

For the frosted flatwoods salamander, a threatened species, the change was more severe—seawater was pushed into their freshwater breeding habitats, imperiling their survival. —Jeff Vandermeer, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026

The plaintiffs stressed that the detention center had been put in a freshwater wetland near Everglades National Park, a pristine ecosystem inhabited by dozens of threatened or endangered species and not far from a Miccosukee village. —Eric Schlosser, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026

North Carolina’s beaches are a nesting ground for multiple species of threatened or endangered sea turtles, including loggerheads, greens, Kemp’s ridleys, leatherbacks and hawksbills, federal officials say. —Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above