botanical
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word 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.
Research led by Brandon Boor at Purdue University found that fragrance compounds released by both conventional cleaners and botanical essential oil-based products can rapidly react indoors and generate nanoparticles.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
The late 1700s were a heyday of botanical exploration, and orange trees from China were exported en masse across Europe to families who wanted to show off their newfound wealth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
The neighborhood where the museum is located — once a well-appointed Nile-side quarter of luxury hotels, architecturally adventurous towers and botanical gardens — became a prime target for the RSF.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
However, after the museum's original herbarium was damaged during World War Two, the space was repurposed to house the botanical collections and closed to the public.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
After gazing awhile at this vivid botanical presence, Chapter Eleven pulled the box from under the bed and opened it.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
