anthropause

American  

[an-throh-pawz] / ˈæn θroʊˌpɔz /

noun

1. a significant temporary reduction in human activity worldwide, as during a pandemic, that noticeably affects environmental phenomena such as levels of air pollution, the movements of wildlife, and even seismic noise.

   The anthropause occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic may inspire people and governments to mobilize for meaningful ecological reform.

---

Etymology

Origin of anthropause

First recorded in 2020 in the online scientific journal Nature Ecology and Evolution

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anthropause

Researchers referred to this unusual period as the "anthropause."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

The anthropause showed that wild animals can bounce back quickly given space and the right conditions to thrive.

From New York Times ● Oct. 29, 2021

But the anthropause did more than reconfigure the animal kingdom.

From New York Times ● Feb. 26, 2021

The change was so swift, so striking that scientists needed a new name for it: the anthropause.

From New York Times ● Feb. 26, 2021

A UK-led team has launched an initiative to study the impact of the "anthropause" - the global, temporary slowdown in human activity due to lockdown - on wildlife.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2020