biotechnology

American  

[bahy-oh-tek-nol-uh-jee] / ˌbaɪ oʊ tɛkˈnɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the use of living organisms or other biological systems in the manufacture of drugs or other products or for environmental management, as in waste recycling: includes the use of bioreactors in manufacturing, microorganisms to degrade oil slicks or organic waste, genetically engineered bacteria to produce human hormones, and monoclonal antibodies to identify antigens.

---

biotechnology British  

/ ˌbaɪəʊˌtɛknəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌbaɪəʊtɛkˈnɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. (in industry) the technique of using microorganisms, such as bacteria, to perform chemical processing, such as waste recycling, or to produce other materials, such as beer and wine, cheese, antibiotics, and (using genetic engineering) hormones, vaccines, etc

2. another name for ergonomics

---

biotechnology Scientific  

/ bī′ō-tĕk-nŏl′ə-jē /

1. The use of a living organism to solve an engineering problem or perform an industrial task. Using bacteria that feed on hydrocarbons to clean up an oil spill is one example of biotechnology.

2. The use of biological substances or techniques to engineer or manufacture a product or substance, as when cells that produce antibodies are cloned in order to study their effects on cancer cells.

3. See more at genetic engineering

---

Other Word Forms

• biotechnical adjective
• biotechnological adjective
• biotechnologically adverb
• biotechnologist noun

Etymology

Origin of biotechnology

First recorded in 1940–45; bio- + technology

Example Sentences

The AI frenzy has also driven a surge of listings by companies across the LLM, robotics and biotechnology spaces.

From The Wall Street Journal

The biotechnology company made headlines in early November when it reported positive trial results for its experimental cancer treatment combining bezuclastinib with sunitinib.

From Barron's

China has invested heavily in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and other technologies.

From Barron's

The AI frenzy has also driven a fresh wave of listings, spanning companies involved in large language models, robotics and biotechnology.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s looking like a poor end to 2025 for investors in two biotechnology companies that on Monday reported surprisingly disappointing trial results for a treatment for a rare bone disease.

From MarketWatch