biosphere
Americannoun
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the part of the earth's crust, waters, and atmosphere that supports life.
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the ecosystem comprising the entire earth and the living organisms that inhabit it.
noun
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The parts of the land, sea, and atmosphere in which organisms are able to live. The biosphere is an irregularly shaped, relatively thin zone in which life is concentrated on or near the Earth's surface and throughout its waters.
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All the Earth's ecosystems considered as a single, self-sustaining unit.
Related Words
See ecosystem ( def. ).
Other Word Forms
- biospheric adjective
Etymology
Origin of biosphere
First recorded in 1895–1900; from German Biosphäre; bio-, -sphere
Explanation
A biosphere is a place where organisms live. You wouldn't want to travel beyond the earth's biosphere, unless of course you are an astronaut. From the Greek bios, "life," and sphaira, "sphere," biosphere came into English use in the 19th century. It means the life that occurs within a certain sphere or region around a planet. If you're reading this from Mars you probably have a biosphere all your own. You and other living things on Earth need oxygen and other substances to survive, and the biosphere fulfills those needs.
Vocabulary lists containing biosphere
Words to Live By: Bio
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Weather and Climate - Introductory
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The island was designated a Unesco biosphere reserve in 2019, which recognises the sustainable ways in which local people work with their natural environment.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
The apparent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump sent shock waves through the geo-political biosphere, as U.S. leaders chimed in to condemn the attack.
From Salon • Jul. 14, 2024
In contrast, land habitats make up less than 1 percent of the planet’s biosphere because the band of life is so narrow, making its volume quite small.
From New York Times • May 30, 2024
The findings are especially important in the Santa Barbara Channel, which is an internationally recognized biosphere reserve, a designated Whale Heritage Area, and one of the most important whale migration routes in the United States.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2024
The emergence of aids, Ebola, and any number of other rain-forest agents appears to be a natural consequence of the ruin of the tropical biosphere.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
