biophilia

American  

[bahy-oh-fil-ee-uh, -feel-yuh] / ˌbaɪ oʊˈfɪl i ə, -ˈfil jə /

noun

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

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biophilia British  

/ ˌbaɪəʊˈfɪlɪə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of biophilia

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.”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

biophilia

Many choosing to build with mass timber are drawn to the cozy aesthetics and by the burgeoning research related to biophilia, which suggests that humans function and feel better in buildings that incorporate natural elements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

Thus American society stands broadly convicted of necrophilia — as opposed to biophilia.

From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2024

One is the biophilia hypothesis, which posits that because we evolved surrounded by plants and greenery we have an innate affinity for them.

From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2020

Wilson’s biophilia hypothesis, or the idea that humans are naturally inclined to seek out nature.

From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2019

Scientists today refer to the biophilia hypothesis, in which we are — as the name suggests — drawn to nature through deeply evolved attractions to favorable landscapes.

From Washington Post

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