biodegradable

American  

[bahy-oh-di-grey-duh-buhl] / ˌbaɪ oʊ dɪˈgreɪ də bəl /

adjective

1. capable of decaying through the action of living organisms.

   biodegradable paper; biodegradable detergent.

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biodegradable British  

/ ˌbaɪəʊˌdɛɡrəˈdeɪʃən, ˌbaɪəʊdɪˈɡreɪdəbəl, ˌbaɪəʊˌdɛɡreɪdɪˈbɪlɪtɪ /

adjective

1. (of sewage constituents, packaging material, etc) capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other biological means

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biodegradable Scientific  

/ bī′ō-dĭ-grā′də-bəl /

1. Capable of being decomposed by the action of biological agents, especially bacteria.

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biodegradable Cultural  

1. Material that, left to itself, will be decomposed by natural processes.

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Discover More

The use of biodegradable packaging is supposed to reduce the volume of waste in landfills.

Other Word Forms

• biodegradability
  noun
• biodegradation
  noun
• nonbiodegradable
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of biodegradable

First recorded in 1960–65; bio- + degrade + -able

Explanation

If something is biodegradable, it can decompose naturally. When you're out camping, you shouldn't leave anything behind and certainly nothing that isn't biodegradable. A plastic bottle is the antithesis of biodegradable — it will be there forever. When you think environmentally friendly, you're thinking biodegradable, and truly environmentally friendly substances degrade quickly into harmless components. What makes something biodegradable is that the decomposition is done by means of living organisms, such as bacteria. When you put earthworms into your compost, they're the living organisms that are assisting you with the decomposition.

Example Sentences

Heating with geothermal energy, lighting with solar panels, cooking with biodegradable waste: how can we live with less oil and gas?

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

But the fabrics, made with oil and coal, have a high carbon footprint and aren’t biodegradable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

They are now aiming to create fully biodegradable versions that avoid complex supply chains and conflict minerals.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

It takes up to 120 biodegradable Tuftext-brand latex balloons spaced about 12 feet apart to create the chain, Bose said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

I even imagine that this tree was once a person, some Decker who was cremated and had asked to have their ashes packed into a biodegradable urn with a tree seed to give it life.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera