scientific name

American  

[sahy-uhn-tif-ik naym] / ˈsaɪ ənˌtɪf ɪk ˈneɪm /

noun

scientific names plural

1. the name used by scientists for a particular organism, consisting of the genus name followed by the species name, conventionally in italics and with the genus name spelled with a capital letter, the species name with a lower-case letter; taxonomic name, binomial nomenclature.

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scientific name Scientific  

/ sī′ən-tĭf′ĭk /

1. A name used by scientists, especially the taxonomic name of an organism that consists of the genus and species. Scientific names usually come from Latin or Greek. An example is Homo sapiens, the scientific name for humans.

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Other Word Forms

• scientific naming
  noun

Example Sentences

Viewers were invited to submit a proposed scientific name along with a justification.

From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2026

The scientific name proposed for the new Nullarbor species is Bettongia haoucharae.

From Science Daily • Dec. 13, 2025

The greater flamingo, or Phoenicopterus roseus to use its scientific name, is listed as a threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2025

When researchers discovered a gecko that reminded them of the paintings of van Gogh, they gave it the scientific name Cnemaspis vangoghi.

From Salon • Sep. 20, 2024

Below each gay scrap of color was a scientific name in my grandfather’s careful copperplate script.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly