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
Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Students, staff and faculty advance sustainability, develop climate change solutions, promote conservation and biodiversity, while driving that policy at home and around the globe by educating a new generation of environmentally conscious leaders committed to saving the planet.
—Julianna Lozada, Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026
Why a Cemetery Makes a Perfect Bee Habitat The study also helps highlight cemeteries as good habitat for bees and biodiversity in general.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Eco effort Sibbjäns doubles as a regenerative farm, where the biodiversity of plants and animals creates a healthy ecosystem.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Biodiversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodiversity. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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biodiversity
noun
