biological

[ bahy-uh-loj-i-kuhl ]

adjective

1. Also biologic. Biology. relating to the science and application of biology:

   Ideal candidates will have appropriate training in both physical and biological chemistry.

2. Biology. relating to or involving living matter:

   Liquid nitrogen is critical for preserving blood, tissue, and other biological specimens.

3. Biology. relating to the living organisms of a region:

   We are hoping to manage the river valley so that we maintain and enhance the current level of biological diversity.

4. Biology, Genetics. related genetically, as a birth parent whose egg or sperm contributed to the DNA of a child:

   He met his biological father when he was 37.

   The Greenes have two biological sons and one adopted daughter.

noun

1. Usually biologicals. Pharmacology. biologic ( def 1 ).

biological

/ ˌbaɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to biology
2. (of a detergent) containing enzymes said to be capable of removing stains of organic origin from items to be washed

noun

1. usually plural a drug, such as a vaccine, that is derived from a living organism

Derived Forms

• ˌbioˈlogically, adverb

Other Words From

• bi·o·log·i·cal·ly adverb
• non·bi·o·log·i·cal adjective
• non·bi·o·log·i·cal·ly adverb
• pseu·do·bi·o·log·i·cal adjective
• pseu·do·bi·o·log·i·cal·ly adverb
• sem·i·bi·o·log·ic adjective
• sem·i·bi·o·log·i·cal adjective
• sem·i·bi·o·log·i·cal·ly adverb
• un·bi·o·log·i·cal adjective
• un·bi·o·log·i·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of biological¹

First recorded in 1855–60; biolog(y) + -ical

Example Sentences

Genes in hand, we could perhaps tap those biological phonelines and cut the wires leading to aging.

From Singularity Hub 

Now though, researchers from the Graz University of Technology in Austria think they may have found a way to approach the power of deep learning using a biological plausible learning approach that works with spiking neural networks.

From Singularity Hub 

The smiley faces were an early example of DNA origami, a method of folding DNA—the biological hardware on which life’s code is written—into biomolecular machines.

From Singularity Hub 

Activating the upstream biological neuron with chemicals also changed the artificial neuron’s conductance in a way that mimicked learning.

From Singularity Hub 

In short, as a clinical neuropsychologist who has studied biological underpinnings of health and disease, I think this is a limited view.

From No Straight News

Eating disorders, on the other hand, are driven largely by biological processes that occur on the inside.

From The Daily Beast

We also have a growing body of biological research showing that fathers, like mothers, are hard-wired to care for children.

From The Daily Beast

Gender roles exceed the biological circumstances of childbirth and they are, perhaps, much less likely to change.

From The Daily Beast

Her adopted daughter tried to suffocate a younger biological sibling.

From The Daily Beast

Imagining novels as biological specimens creates a crazed and mythic zoology of hybrids, beasts, mutants, and aberrations.

From The Daily Beast

The biological doctrine of evolution was misinterpreted and misapplied to social policy.

From Project Gutenberg

In short, birth was fortuitous, a product of circumstance plus proximity, its get a biological accident.

From Project Gutenberg

But there is a wide gulf between that and concluding that all psycho-biological phenomena are hallucinations.

From Project Gutenberg

It is indispensable to check these against biological fact, in order to ascertain which are feasible and which are not.

From Project Gutenberg

Civilization would not be civilization if we had to spend most of our time thinking about the biological basis.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• organic