vertebrate

American  

[vur-tuh-brit, -breyt] / ˈvɜr tə brɪt, -ˌbreɪt /

adjective

1. having vertebrae; having a backbone or spinal column.

2. belonging or pertaining to the Vertebrata (or Craniata), a subphylum of chordate animals, comprising those having a brain enclosed in a skull or cranium and a segmented spinal column; a major taxonomic group that includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.

---

noun

• vertebrates
  plural

1. a vertebrate animal.

vertebrate British  

/ ˈvɜːtɪˌbreɪt, -brɪt /

noun

1. any chordate animal of the subphylum Vertebrata, characterized by a bony or cartilaginous skeleton and a well-developed brain: the group contains fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the subphylum Vertebrata

vertebrate Scientific  

/ vûr′tə-brĭt,-brāt′ /

1. Any of a large group of chordates of the subphylum Vertebrata (or Craniata), characterized by having a backbone. Vertebrates are bilaterally symmetrical and have an internal skeleton of bone or cartilage, a nervous system divided into brain and spinal cord, and not more than two pairs of limbs. Vertebrates have a well-developed body cavity (called a coelom) containing a chambered heart, large digestive organs, liver, pancreas, and paired kidneys, and their blood contains both red and white corpuscles. Vertebrates include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subvertebrate
  noun
• nonvertebrate
  adjective
• unvertebrate
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vertebrates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vertebrate

First recorded in 1820–30, vertebrate is from the Latin word vertebrātus jointed. See vertebra, -ate ¹

Explanation

A vertebrate is an animal that has a backbone and a skeleton. Vertebrate animals include humans. When you think about vertebrates, think about bones: this word has to do with animals that have a lot of bones, in the form of a skeleton. It especially refers to animals with a backbone, which protects their spinal cord. Vertebrates have many bones, including a skull which protects their brains, which tend to be large. People, dogs, horses, lizards, dogs, cats, and many other animals are in the vertebrate category. Animals without a backbone are called invertebrates.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vertebrate vertebrates

The findings may also help explain a major turning point in vertebrate evolution: the rise of birds.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

Humans and every other vertebrate may share an astonishingly strange ancestor: a tiny creature with a single eye centered on the top of its head.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

"Amphibians are the fastest-declining vertebrate group globally," she said.

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

This unusual evolutionary path helps explain why vertebrate eyes are built differently from those of other animals like insects and squid.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 27, 2026

“Interesting. It’s difficult to observe if it’s chemiluminescent vertebrate or bioluminescent bacteria.”

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

The region’s rocks preserve fossils from different stages in the evolution of terrestrial vertebrates, including some of the oldest known dinosaurs and large predators that lived before the Age of Dinosaurs.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

It also reinforces the importance of South America for the study of the origin and diversification of major groups of terrestrial vertebrates.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

In particular, competition with early small mammals could have prevented dinosaurs from moving into the mouse-sized and sparrow-sized niches that are filled by many vertebrates today.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

They lure mosquitoes with carbon dioxide—all vertebrates release the gas with each exhale, so to mosquitoes, it usually signals a meal.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

To begin with, they are the oldest of all land vertebrates.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• beast
• creature
• pet