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

See Examples For:

biodegradable

Microorganisms developed biodegradable plastics long before humans began making them.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

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

Researchers are creating biodegradable textile fiber and plastic-free synthetic silk, among other alternatives, that are costly to produce but could reduce the climate impact of the clothing industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

Lennick notes that cellulose acetate does have environmental benefits over conventional plastic, such as being biodegradable under certain conditions.

From BBC ● Apr. 22, 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