biology
Americannoun
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the science of life or living matter in all its forms and phenomena, especially with reference to origin, growth, reproduction, structure, and behavior.
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the living organisms of a region.
the biology of Pennsylvania.
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the biological phenomena characteristic of an organism or a group of organisms.
She is studying the biology of worms, especially in regard to their reproductive behavior.
noun
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the study of living organisms, including their structure, functioning, evolution, distribution, and interrelationships
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the structure, functioning, etc, of a particular organism or group of organisms
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the animal and plant life of a particular region
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of biology
From the German word Biologie, dating back to 1805–15. See bio-, -logy
Compare meaning
How does biology compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Biology is the study of life and living organisms, from one-celled creatures to the most complex living organism of all — the human being. Biology includes the study of genes and cells that give living things their special characteristics. You may know that the ology suffix means "the study of," and the addition of the Greek bios, meaning "life," gives us the meaning of biology. According to Nobel Laureate Walter Gilbert, "Biology will relate every human gene to the genes of other animals and bacteria, to this great chain of being." Sometimes science isn't as pretty as that sounds (as you know if you've cut open worms or frogs in biology class).
Vocabulary lists containing biology
Words to Live By: Bio
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Power Suffix: -ology
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bio
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Anthropic says most queries about cybersecurity or biology and chemistry will be routed instead to the lower-tier model, Opus 4.8, which was made public in late May.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Their 16 students included professors of atmospheric science, biology, engineering and quantum physics.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
But it's not just wheat flour, or barley that can fuel fermentation, all sorts of substances are suitable - in biology those fermentation hosts are known as substrates.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
Google says it’s “developing new technologies that combine sensors, algorithms and novel engineering to take advantage of unique aspects of mosquito biology to quickly and accurately sort males from females.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
Would she like to meet with a friend of his in the Stanford biology department to talk about the program?
From "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
