anthropogenic

American  

[an-thruh-puh-jen-ik] / ˌæn θrə pəˈdʒɛn ɪk /

adjective

1. caused or produced by humans.

   anthropogenic air pollution.

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anthropogenic British  

/ ˌænθrəpəʊˈdʒɛnɪk /

adjective

1. relating to anthropogenesis

2. created by people or caused by human activity

   anthropogenic pollution

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anthropogenic Scientific  

/ ăn′thrə-pə-jĕn′ĭk /

1. Caused or influenced by humans. Anthropogenic carbon dioxide is that portion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that is produced directly by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, rather than by such processes as respiration and decay.

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Etymology

Origin of anthropogenic

First recorded in 1885–90; anthropo- + -genic

Explanation

Anthropogenic is an adjective that describes changes in nature made by people. If your town has rerouted water from the river for drinking water, that is an anthropogenic activity. Whenever you see the word root anthro, you can bet there’s a person involved, and anthropogenic is a particularly good example. From the Greek anthropogenes, meaning "born of man,” anthropogenic can refer to any changes in nature that are caused by people — like the existence of roads or cities where once there were forests. Most often, you will hear anthropogenic as an adjective describing pollution — such as the anthropogenic causes of the hole in the ozone layer.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anthropogenic

"While heat domes are a natural weather phenomenon, anthropogenic climate change is making heatwaves more severe and more likely to reach record-breaking temperatures," she added.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

"Stem-nesting species appear to have the lowest capacity to escape unfavorable environmental temperatures and are likely to be the most impacted by anthropogenic climate change in the near term."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026

Bloom believes there’s “too much anthropogenic stuff” heaped on the present-day Big Bear pair.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026

“We live in a future that is changing radically because of anthropogenic climate change,” Eira Tansey, an archivist and founder of archival services consultancy Memory Rising, told Slate.

From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2025

“Less sea ice in the future will likely also mean an expanding anthropogenic footprint in the Arctic,” Johnson said.

From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2025