endangered species

Scientific  

/ ĕn-dān′jərd /

1. A plant or animal species existing in such small numbers that it is in danger of becoming extinct, especially such a species placed in jeopardy as a result of human activity. One of the principal factors in the endangerment or extinction of a species is the destruction or pollution of its native habitat. Other factors include overhunting, intentional extermination, and the accidental or intentional introduction of alien species that outcompete the native species for environmental resources.

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endangered species Idioms  

1. A group threatened with extinction or destruction. For example, Workers willing to put in overtime without extra pay are an endangered species, or With the new budget cuts, public television has become an endangered species. This expression, originally referring to species of plants or animals in danger of dying out, began in the 1980s to be extended to anything or anyone becoming rare.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

endangered species

Red pandas have become an endangered species, mainly due to habitat loss, human interference and poaching.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

The lawsuit also accuses two men in Peru of painting fakes bearing Warhol’s signature and shipping canvases resembling Warhol’s 1983 portfolio of endangered species to Roberts’s gallery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

Wildlife traffickers can face up to 10 years in prison for crimes involving protected species, or 15 years for endangered species.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

"Just as we can predict population growth or endangered species, we can model the evolution of feelings within a couple," explains Pujo-Menjouet.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026

Who knows, we might even acknowledge the fragility and vulnerability that always accompany high specialization in biology, and movements might start up for the protection of ourselves as a valuable, endangered species.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas