endangered
Americanadjective
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threatened with a danger.
endangered lives of trapped coal miners.
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Biology, Ecology. generally perceived as threatened with extinction.
In 1967, the U.S. government declared the bald eagle endangered, but the national bird’s population recovery since then has been remarkable.
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Biology, Ecology. (of a threatened plant or animal species) having a very high risk of extinction, second only to the status of critically endangered, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: EN
There are more than 3,600 endangered plant species throughout the world.
adjective
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Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of endangered
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Explanation
An animal that is endangered is close to extinction — meaning there aren't very many of that type of animal left in the world. This word is used mostly to describe animal species that are not doing very well: animals usually become endangered because of over hunting or the destruction of their habitat. Environmental groups and animal-lovers try to help endangered species survive. Outside of the animal kingdom, you can say anything that seems to be dying out is endangered, like good manners, phone booths, or the art of letter writing.
Vocabulary lists containing endangered
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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 trust said red ruffed lemurs were only found in a small area of the northeast of Madagascar and were "critically endangered".
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
The super breeders saving their endangered parakeet species.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
Communications between firefighters and state officials showed that protecting endangered plant species from firefighting equipment took priority over ensuring the embers were fully extinguished.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
The critically endangered Torrey pine tree only grows naturally two places in the world — a state park near San Diego and on Santa Rosa Island — and one of those places is on fire.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
By 1990, they were officially declared an endangered species.
From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh
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.
