abiotic

[ ey-bahy-ot-ik, ab-ee- ]

adjective

1. of or characterized by the absence of life or living organisms.

abiotic

/ ā′bī-ŏt′ĭk /

1. Not associated with or derived from living organisms. Abiotic factors in an environment include such items as sunlight, temperature, wind patterns, and precipitation.
2. Compare biotic

Other Words From

• a·bi·ot·i·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of abiotic¹

a- ⁶ + biotic

Example Sentences

It generates about 43 microwatts of electricity per square centimeter, achieving the highest power density of any abiotic glucose fuel cell to date under ambient conditions.

From MIT Technology Review

Though myriad hypotheses claim to explain what sparked life, many researchers consider abiotic organic molecules to be necessary starting material.

From Science News

Organic molecules are often produced by living organisms, but they can also arise from nonbiological, abiotic processes.

From Science News

It doesn’t tell us anything about their ecology, how they interact with the other organisms on the planet, with the abiotic environment.

From Quanta Magazine