botanical
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
The father took the son with him as a companion and botanical assistant.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
Kew's Wakehurst botanical gardens launched its Nature Unlocked programme in 2021 with an aim to develop solutions to climate change, nature recovery and biodiversity loss.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Florist Abriana Vicioso is reimagining the traditional flower workshop as a communal “guided journey,” using botanical arts to foster healing and connection in the heart of Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
To start, they’ve been masquerading as a vegetable when they are actually classified as botanical fruits.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
Were those first Jordan Valley farmers botanical ignoramuses who didn’t know what they were doing?
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
