What does "species" mean?
A type or kind. (Compare race.)
Species
/ˈspiːʃiːz/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A type or kind. (Compare race.)
- Grammar: species is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: animal kingdom, animal species level, antonomasia, argus.
- Useful contrasts: garrulus, sus, abronia.
- Usage evidence: It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
How to use "species"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "species" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "species" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "species" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "species" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "species" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "animal kingdom" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "species", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A type or kind. (Compare race.) countable, uncountable
"the male species"
- 2 plural of specie form-of, plural
- 3 a specific kind of something wordnet
- 4 A type or kind. (Compare race.); A group of sexually reproducing organisms of which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction, usually having similar appearance. countable, uncountable
"This species of animal is unique to the area."
- 5 (biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed wordnet
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 A type or kind. (Compare race.); A category in the classification of organisms, ranking below genus; a taxon at that rank. countable, uncountable
"Hence, in determining whether a form should be ranked as a species or a variety, the opinion of naturalists having sound judgment and wide experience seems the only guide to follow."
- 7 A type or kind. (Compare race.); An individual or kind of a biological species. countable, uncountable
- 8 A type or kind. (Compare race.); A particular type of atom, molecule, ion or other particle. countable, uncountable
- 9 A type or kind. (Compare race.); A mineral with a unique chemical formula whose crystals belong to a unique crystallographic system. countable, uncountable
- 10 An image, an appearance, a spectacle.; The image of something cast on a surface, or reflected from a surface, or refracted through a lens or telescope; a reflection. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"I cast the species of the Sun onto a sheet of paper through a telescope."
- 11 An image, an appearance, a spectacle.; Visible or perceptible presentation; appearance; something perceived. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Wit,[…]the faculty of imagination in the writer, which searches over all the memory for the species or ideas of those things which it designs to represent."
- 12 Either of the two elements of the Eucharist after they have been consecrated. countable, uncountable
- 13 Coin, or coined silver, gold, or other metal, used as a circulating medium; specie. countable, uncountable
"There was, in the splendour of the Roman empire, a less quantity of current species in Europe than there is now."
- 14 A component part of compound medicine; a simple. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "species"?
Common synonyms include: animal kingdom, animal species level, antonomasia, argus, binomial nomenclature, biosystematics.
How do you use "species" in a sentence?
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
How do you pronounce "species"?
Pronounced /ˈspiːʃiːz/.
Etymology
From Latin speciēs (“appearance; quality”), from speciō (“see”) + -iēs suffix signifying abstract noun. Doublet of spice.