Gaia hypothesis

[gey-uh hahy-poth-uh-sis, hi-poth‐]

noun

1. a theory advancing the notion that life on earth is perpetuated by the interaction of organisms with their inorganic environment, a process maintained by the earth’s self-regulation of its own material conditions and requirements.

Gaia hypothesis

/ ˈɡaɪə /

noun

1. the theory that the earth and everything on it constitutes a single self-regulating living entity

Word History and Origins

Origin of Gaia hypothesis¹

Coined in 1975 by British environmentalist and futurist James E. Lovelock (1919–2022); Gaia ( def. 2 )