near threatened

American

[neer thret-nd] / ˈnɪər ˈθrɛt nd /

adjective

Biology, Ecology.

(of a plant or animal species) inclined to be threatened with extinction but not yet qualified as vulnerable, which is the entry level of the three categories of threatened species, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: near threatened species are regularly reevaluated, as an amended classification up to the level of vulnerable is always a possibility: NT

The list of near threatened orthopterous insects includes several cave crickets and swallowtail butterflies.

Etymology

Origin of near threatened

First recorded in 1985–90

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.

In 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature reclassified the species as "near threatened."

From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2026

In West Africa, five more bird species were found to be near threatened in addition to one more in Central America.

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

The country has some 2,000 black rhinos, considered to be "critically endangered", and around 13,000 white rhinos, classed as "near threatened".

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2024

Three Antarctic penguin species — emperor penguins, southern rockhopper penguins and macaroni penguins — are listed as vulnerable or near threatened.

From New York Times • Jan. 30, 2024

“The near threatened category is right for the saiga, because we know that at any time, we could just get large numbers of them dropping dead again,” says Milner-Gulland.

From National Geographic • Dec. 14, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023