Etymology and origin of the English word biodiversity
Etymology
It is formed from English bio- + diversity,[2][3][4] also spelled with a hyphen.[3] The combining form is from Ancient Greek βίος (bíos, “life, way of living”).[3] Diversity goes back through Middle English diversite and Old French diversete to Latin dīversitās (“contrariety; difference”), from dīversus (“turned different ways”), the past participle of dīvertō.[3] Dictionary.com calls it an Americanism.[5]
Earliest recorded meaning
The diversity of plant and animal life, especially as measured by the number of living species: 1985, in a table in the journal BioScience.[2][4]
Semantic evolution
Etymonline dates the word "by 1988", and Dictionary.com to 1985–90.[3][5] It became a term of conservation: Collins defines it with reference to conservationists' concern over the destruction of rainforests and other habitats.[6]
Timeline
- 1985 – the diversity of plant and animal species, in BioScience.[2][4]
- by 1988 – in Etymonline's record.[3]
Meanings
Noun
- The variety of plant and animal life in a habitat or in the world, as shown by the number of different species: Draining the marsh reduced its biodiversity.[6][4][2]
Word family
- biodiverse
Related words
References
- ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
- ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry
“Biodiversity.” Etymologically, 31 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/biodiversity. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.
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