biodiversity

noun

bio·​di·​ver·​si·​ty ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-də-ˈvər-sə-tē How to pronounce biodiversity (audio)
-dī-
: biological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals
biodiverse adjective

Did you know?

Biodiversity may become the rallying call for the next decade, wrote David Wake in the journal Science in 1989. Indeed, biodiversity is a word you're likely to encounter in writing about ecology and the environment today. But when Wake used it, "biodiversity" was still a relatively new addition to the English language, having first appeared in writing in the mid-1980s. Of course, the roots of biodiversity are much older. It evolved from a commingling of the descendants of the Greek noun bios, which means "mode of life," and the Latin verb divertere, which means "to turn aside" or "to go different ways."

Examples of biodiversity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That would in turn avoid the greenhouse gases from such mining operations, plus losses of biodiversity. Matt Simon, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024 The protesters are demanding a withdrawal from the EU's Green Deal, a plan meant to fight climate change and protect biodiversity, including with plans requiring farmers to reduce the excessive use of polluting chemicals to boost their crops. Vanessa Gera, Quartz, 6 Mar. 2024 Yet many of the planet’s most significant happenings are called events, including mass extinctions, rapid expansions of biodiversity and the filling of Earth’s skies with oxygen 2.1 to 2.4 billion years ago. Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Many of them are also involved in regenerative practices, such as working to restore terraces and create windbreaks to help the soil retain water and enhance biodiversity. Tom Watkins, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Yet, this mosaic of biodiversity faces growing challenges due to human activities. Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 For Page, who gets to call the ocean her office, the orcas add to the rich biodiversity found off the coast: gray whales during winter and spring, humpbacks during spring and fall, blue whales – the world’s largest mammal – during summer. Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 President Bill Clinton established the Agua Fria National Monument in 2000 to protect cultural resources, riparian forests and biodiversity in the area. Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 The Finnish filmmaker hopes her film will fuel the debate on forest preservation in Finland where 90% of forests are for commercial use, a reality which is being challenged by the EU biodiversity strategy aimed at protecting 30% of land and seas by 2030. Annika Pham, Variety, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'biodiversity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

bio- + diversity

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of biodiversity was in 1985

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Dictionary Entries Near biodiversity

Cite this Entry

“Biodiversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodiversity. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

biodiversity

noun
bio·​di·​ver·​si·​ty -də-ˈvər-sət-ē How to pronounce biodiversity (audio)
-dī-
: biological variety in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals

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