biological
/ˌbaɪ.əˈlɒdʒ.ɪ.kəl/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Biological means connected with living things, like plants, animals, and humans. It often describes things that come from nature or life processes.
- The study looks at biological changes in the body.
- Plants have many biological needs.
Adinary Nuance
Biological is narrower than natural and more specific than physical. Use biological when you mean something connected to living organisms or life processes. It is common in science, medicine, and family relationships, like biological father or biological mother.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- sinh học
- Spanish
- biológico
- Chinese
- 生物的
- Japanese
- 生物学的な
- Korean
- 생물학적인
Etymology
Biological comes from biology, which was formed from Greek words meaning 'life' and 'study.' It entered English in the 19th century.
Common phrases
biological fatherbiological motherbiological sciencebiological process
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is biological a formal word?
- Yes. It is common in science, medicine, and academic writing.
- What is the difference between biological and natural?
- Biological is more specific. It refers to living things and life processes, while natural is broader.
- Can biological describe family relationships?
- Yes. It can mean a blood relation, like biological father or biological child.
- How do I use biological in a sentence?
- Say: 'The doctor explained the biological cause of the illness.'