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scientific name

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

noun

plural

scientific names

  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.

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.

Other Word Forms

  • scientific naming noun

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 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

The proposed scientific name for the resident northern population is Patagona chaski.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2024

Separate from WHO’s decision, ICTV’s poxvirus group had a vote on whether to change the scientific name for the virus that causes mpox.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 3, 2024

The scientific name for the giant panda is Ailuropoda melanoleuca.

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.