biodiversity
noun
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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
Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
These moves are crucial for preserving biodiversity on campus and supporting local ecosystems.
—Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
As of Monday, thousands of the critters — called velella velella or by-the-wind sailors — have been sighted along the California coastline since the start of March, according to iNaturalist, an online platform for sharing biodiversity information.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Sun Exposure: Partial, full sun Soil Type: Moist, well-drained, tolerates clay
Soil pH: Neutral, acidic
Black-eyed Susan
Native plants are important to grow for biodiversity and for creating habitat and food sources for wildlife, such as birds, bees and butterflies.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for biodiversity
Cite this Entry
“Biodiversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodiversity. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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biodiversity
noun
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