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, 26 Aug. 2025
For example, coral reefs are bleaching more often and dying due to ocean warming and acidification, undermining fisheries, marine biodiversity and economic sectors such as tourism.
—Lauren Gifford, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2025
While Fiji serves as a world-class vacation destination, the country also harbors a truly fascinating array of endemic flora and fauna—and for any visitors hoping for a deep dive on its biodiversity, Likuliku Lagoon Resort is the perfect destination.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Conservation programs worldwide are facing sharp funding cuts and waning political support, threatening the progress done since now in protecting biodiversity, ecosystems, and the communities that depend on them.
—Vogue, 21 Aug. 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 3 Sep. 2025.
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biodiversity
noun
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