anthropogenic

American  

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

adjective

1. caused or produced by humans.

   anthropogenic air pollution.

---

anthropogenic British  

/ ˌænθrəpəʊˈdʒɛnɪk /

adjective

1. relating to anthropogenesis

2. created by people or caused by human activity

   anthropogenic pollution

---

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.

---

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

A similar effect was observed during Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020, when reduced human activity led to a 50% drop in anthropogenic seismic noise between March and May of that year.

From Science Daily • Apr. 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

"Forests globally currently sequester about one-third of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions," said Medlyn.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

In a ghastly rehearsal of the horrible effects of anthropogenic climate change on other animals, our runaway success spelled their doom.

From Slate • May 14, 2025

“Our findings confirm that the influence of anthropogenic climate change has no limit in its reach,” Roland said.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2024