paleontology
Americannoun
plural
paleontologies-
the science of the forms of life existing in former geologic periods, as represented by their fossils.
-
a treatise on paleontology.
Other Word Forms
- paleontologic adjective
- paleontological adjective
- paleontologically adverb
- paleontologist noun
Etymology
Origin of paleontology
From the French word paléontologie, dating back to 1830–40; see origin at paleo-, ontology
Explanation
That five-year-old dinosaur expert who can tell a trilobite from a pterodactyl and tell you which thrived during the Jurassic period? She’s a budding paleontology expert. Scientific language aims at clarity, and scientists generally speak to each other in Greek and Latin. The commonly used suffix -ology comes from Greek, and it means "the study of." The prefix paleo means "old." So, paleontology is the study of that which is old — really, really old. The word paleontology entered the English language in the 19th century, just as scientists were making a systematic effort to analyze fossil records.
Vocabulary lists containing paleontology
Tyrannosaurus Lex(icon)
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Earth Science - Middle School
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Earth Science: Geology
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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.
Most paleontology research today still focuses on searching for traces of original organic material in fossils, but DNA has not survived the passage of time.
From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2026
In the subreddit, the latest advancements in paleontology appear alongside divided reactions to dinosaur media, like Netflix’s recent Morgan Freeman-narrated docuseries, “The Dinosaurs.”
From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026
He has visited the fossil site and participated in several Arctic paleontology expeditions.
From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026
Since then, the site has produced fossils of turtles, lizards, and mammals, along with many snake remains, including some that have played an important role in paleontology.
From Science Daily • Dec. 31, 2025
It would be reasonable to suppose that Richard Owen’s petty rivalries marked the low point of nineteenth-century paleontology, but in fact worse was to come, this time from overseas.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
