Abiotic

//ˌeɪ.baɪˈɑt.ɪk// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any such material
Adjective
  1. 1
    Nonliving, inanimate, characterised by the absence of life; of inorganic matter. not-comparable

    "Near-synonyms: nonbiological, nonbiologic"

  2. 2
    Tending to inhibit or destroy life; antibiotic; incompatible with life. not-comparable

Synonyms

All synonyms
dumbinanimateinertinsensateinsensibleinsentient

Example

More examples

"Eric Post, a professor of biology at Penn State University and leader of the study team, says previous research has focused on the non-living or abiotic effects of global warming on the Arctic, including the melting of sea ice and subsequent rises in seawater levels."

Etymology

First attested in 1874. From a- + biotic, the first element from Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) and the second from Ancient Greek βιωτικός (biōtikós, “of life”), from βίος (bíos, “life”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.