abiotic factor

[ ey-bahy-ot-ik fak-ter, abee- ]

noun

, Ecology.

1. a nonliving condition or thing, as climate or habitat, that influences or affects an ecosystem and the organisms in it:

   Abiotic factors can determine which species of organisms will survive in a given environment.

Word History and Origins

Origin of abiotic factor¹

First recorded in 1955–60