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
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The sector contributes nearly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, drives biodiversity loss, and is tied to several public health risks. Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025 With so much of Earth’s biodiversity yet to be discovered and named, remember that names are just names. Nicholas Green, The Conversation, 3 June 2025 And not only is the conversion of natural land into farmland and rangeland the leading driver of deforestation; agriculture is responsible for much of the world’s water shortages, water pollution, wetland destruction, and biodiversity loss. Michael Grunwald, The Atlantic, 3 June 2025 Meghalaya is part of the Indo-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot, and the region holds a large number of endemic species, or species found nowhere else in the world, according to the study. Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for biodiversity

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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Cite this Entry

“Biodiversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodiversity. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

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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