scientific name

American  

[sahy-uhn-tif-ik naym] / ˈsaɪ ənˌtɪf ɪk ˈneɪm /

noun

plural

scientific names

1. the name used by scientists for a particular organism, consisting of the genus name followed by the species name, conventionally in italics and with the genus name spelled with a capital letter, the species name with a lower-case letter; taxonomic name, binomial nomenclature.

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scientific name Scientific  

/ sī′ən-tĭf′ĭk /

1. A name used by scientists, especially the taxonomic name of an organism that consists of the genus and species. Scientific names usually come from Latin or Greek. An example is Homo sapiens, the scientific name for humans.

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Other Word Forms

• scientific naming noun

Example Sentences

Ferreiraella populi has now been described and given a scientific name only two years after its discovery.

From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2026

The scientific name proposed for the new Nullarbor species is Bettongia haoucharae.

From Science Daily • Dec. 13, 2025

The greater flamingo, or Phoenicopterus roseus to use its scientific name, is listed as a threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2025

Separate from WHO’s decision, ICTV’s poxvirus group had a vote on whether to change the scientific name for the virus that causes mpox.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 3, 2024

It’s not like the thing has a name tag, accompanied by a scientific name for its—his?—species.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer