endangered
Americanadjective
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threatened with a danger.
endangered lives of trapped coal miners.
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Biology, Ecology. generally perceived as threatened with extinction.
In 1967, the U.S. government declared the bald eagle endangered, but the national bird’s population recovery since then has been remarkable.
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Biology, Ecology. (of a threatened plant or animal species) having a very high risk of extinction, second only to the status of critically endangered, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: EN
There are more than 3,600 endangered plant species throughout the world.
adjective
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Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of endangered
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Explanation
An animal that is endangered is close to extinction — meaning there aren't very many of that type of animal left in the world. This word is used mostly to describe animal species that are not doing very well: animals usually become endangered because of over hunting or the destruction of their habitat. Environmental groups and animal-lovers try to help endangered species survive. Outside of the animal kingdom, you can say anything that seems to be dying out is endangered, like good manners, phone booths, or the art of letter writing.
Vocabulary lists containing endangered
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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.
When disease and weather kill cattle at about one thousand times the rate of wolves, struggling ranchers clearly have much bigger concerns than the Endangered Species Act.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
His Turner Endangered Species Fund, launched in June 1997, has worked to save gopher tortoises, monarch butterflies and leopard frogs, working mainly with private landowners.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
In her ruling, Hwang found that California state parks had violated the federal Endangered Species Act by permitting too much activity near the birds without having obtained an “incidental take” permit.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
It authorized the creation of the Endangered Species Act Committee, made up of federal agency leaders, which could grant exemptions to this prohibition on federal actions considered likely to risk extinction of a listed species.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026
“I’ve been afraid of this. Zella brought me a copy of the Endangered Species Act not long ago. I should have told you about it, but I thought the conservation officer understood your needs.”
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
