paleontology

American  

[pey-lee-uhn-tol-uh-jee, pal-ee-] / ˌpeɪ li ənˈtɒl ə dʒi, ˌpæl i- /

noun

plural

paleontologies

1. the science of the forms of life existing in former geologic periods, as represented by their fossils.

2. a treatise on paleontology.

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paleontology Scientific  

/ pā′lē-ŏn-tŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of life in the geologic past, especially through the study of animal and plant fossils.

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paleontology Cultural  

1. The study of ancient life forms, particularly as they are seen in fossils.

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Other Word Forms

• paleontologic adjective
• paleontological adjective
• paleontologically adverb
• paleontologist noun

Etymology

Origin of paleontology

From the French word paléontologie, dating back to 1830–40; see origin at paleo-, ontology

Explanation

That five-year-old dinosaur expert who can tell a trilobite from a pterodactyl and tell you which thrived during the Jurassic period? She’s a budding paleontology expert. Scientific language aims at clarity, and scientists generally speak to each other in Greek and Latin. The commonly used suffix -ology comes from Greek, and it means "the study of." The prefix paleo means "old." So, paleontology is the study of that which is old — really, really old. The word paleontology entered the English language in the 19th century, just as scientists were making a systematic effort to analyze fossil records.

Example Sentences

In the subreddit, the latest advancements in paleontology appear alongside divided reactions to dinosaur media, like Netflix’s recent Morgan Freeman-narrated docuseries, “The Dinosaurs.”

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

Most of the fossil material was originally collected in 1986 by Dr. Mary Dawson, Curator Emeritus at Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a pioneer in Arctic paleontology.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

Brian Hebert, an avocational paleontologist from Nova Scotia, located the small skull inside a fossilized tree stump during a field season led by Hillary Maddin, a professor of paleontology at Carleton University.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

"It gives us a new way to date fossil sites where volcanic layers are missing, a challenge that has limited paleontology for decades."

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2025

The person at the head of the table was the greatest star of the young science of paleontology.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• excavation