biophilia

[ bahy-oh-fil-ee-uh, ‑-feel-yuh ]

noun

1. a love of life and the living world; the affinity of human beings for other life forms.

biophilia

/ ˌbaɪəʊˈfɪlɪə /

noun

1. an innate love for the natural world, supposed to be felt universally by humankind

Word History and Origins

Origin of biophilia¹

1960–65; from New Latin: literally, “love of life” from bio- ( def ) + -philia ( def ); coined by Erich Fromm in The Heart of Man: Its Genius for Good and Evil (1964) to mean “love for humanity and nature, and independence and freedom”; extended by Edward O. Wilson in Biophilia (1984) to mean “the rich, natural pleasure that comes from being surrounded by living organisms.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of biophilia¹

C20: bio + -philia

Example Sentences

Following the domed horticultural wonderland in its Seattle headquarters, it’s the company’s second grand monument to the biophilia hypothesis, which holds that humans have an innate urge to be close to nature.

From Quartz