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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
Words nearby carrying capacity
carryback, carry coals to Newcastle, carrycot, carryforward, carry-in, carrying capacity, carrying charge, carrying-on, carrying place, carry light, carry off
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
[ kăr′ē-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.