botanical
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- botanically adverb
- nonbotanic adjective
- nonbotanical adjective
- nonbotanically adverb
- unbotanical adjective
Etymology
Origin of botanical
1650–60; botanic (< Medieval Latin botanicus < Greek botanikós of plants, equivalent to botán ( ē ) herb + -ikos -ic ) + -al 1
Explanation
Use the adjective botanical to describe something that has to do with plants. You might call your illustrated book of New England ferns and mosses a botanical guide. Botanical research involves the study of plants, and a botanical scientist — or botanist — has focused her career on learning about plants. If there are botanical substances in your favorite soda, it means that in addition to sugar and chemicals, there are plant ingredients too. Botanical comes from botanic, which has its root in the Greek word botanikos, "of herbs."
Vocabulary lists containing botanical
My Side of the Mountain
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The Most Beautiful Roof in the World
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"Allied with Green," Vocabulary from the short story
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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.
Pockets of chalk, clay and greensand encourage an exuberant spread of botanical life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
To start, they’ve been masquerading as a vegetable when they are actually classified as botanical fruits.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
The textiles are all dyed with botanical dyes.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
AG Barr purchased the Hexham-based botanical brewery and fizzy drinks brand Fentimans for about £38m, in a move funded through a combination of cash and debt.
From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026
Some botanical purists still insist on spelling it wistaria.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
