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Showing results for fossilized. Search instead for unfossilised.
Synonyms

fossilized

American  
[fahs-uh-lahyzd] / ˈfɑs əˌlaɪzd /

adjective

  1. (of the remains of an organism) having organic substances replaced with mineral ones; converted into a fossil.

  2. rigidly antiquated.

  3. having become the lifeless or disused remains of something; being merely a trace of the past.


Other Word Forms

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.

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It’s an auction record for a fossilized dinosaur skeleton, beating a 150-million-year-old Stegosaurus that sold for $44.6 million two years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

"Gus" is one of the world's most complete T. rex skeletons -- with 183 fossilized bones -- and was discovered on a cattle ranch in South Dakota in 2021.

From Barron's Jul. 14, 2026

It’s an auction record for a fossilized dinosaur skeleton, beating the $44.6 million that Citadel founder Kenneth Griffin paid two years ago for Apex, a 150-million-year old Stegosaurus.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

Using a newly developed technique that can detect signs of burning in fossilized bones, researchers identified repeated evidence of fire deep inside the cave.

From Science Daily Jun. 24, 2026

He is continually placing some unexpected thing into her hands: a lightbulb, a fossilized fish, a flamingo feather.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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