threatened species

American  

[thret-nd spee-sheez, spee-seez] / ˈθrɛt nd ˈspi ʃiz, ˈspi siz /

noun

Biology, Ecology.

1. a plant or animal species generally perceived as likely, in the near future, to become endangered within all or much of its range.

   The drainage of this wetland promises to leave us with a number of threatened species.

2. a plant or animal species that has been categorized by the IUCN Red List as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.

   In evaluating the conservation status of this threatened species, we must follow closely the population growth rate.

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Compare meaning

How does threatened-species compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• endangered vs. threatened species

Example Sentences

Earlier this year, the California Fish and Game Commission granted threatened species status to six mountain lion populations to try to boost their chances of survival.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

In poorer communities in North Africa, fishers who catch sharks might face the choice of whether to feed their family, or return a threatened species to the ocean.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

But activities such as grazing and development have degraded so much habitat that the threatened species now occupies only 12% of its historical range, according to a 2023 survey by the U.S.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025

At the center of the debate is the act’s “blanket rule,” which automatically applies the strictest “endangered”-level protections to all threatened species unless the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025

Zoos are conducting similar breeding programs for many other threatened species, including gorillas and rhinos.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond