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carrying capacity

[ kar-ee-ing kuh-pas-i-tee ]
/ ˈkær i ɪŋ kəˌpæs ɪ ti /
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noun Ecology.
the maximum, equilibrium number of organisms of a particular species that can be supported indefinitely in a given environment. Abbreviation: K
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Origin of carrying capacity

First recorded in 1880–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use carrying capacity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for carrying capacity

carrying capacity

noun
ecology the maximum number of individuals that an area of land can support, usually determined by their food requirements
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for carrying capacity

carrying capacity
[ kărē-ĭng ]

The maximum population of a particular organism that a given environment can support without detrimental effects.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for carrying capacity

carrying capacity

In ecology, the number of living things that can exist for long periods in a given area without damaging the environment.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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