Standard Lemma guide

biodegradability

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The capacity of a material to decompose over time as a result of biological activity, especially to be broken down by microorganisms.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gweyh3-der. Ancient Greek βῐ́ος (bĭ́os) Ancient Greek βῐο- (bĭo-)der. English bio- English degrade Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English degradable English biodegradable Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English biodegradability From biodegradable + -ity.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 生物降解能力 (shēngwù jiàngjiě nénglì) — capacity of a material to decompose over time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 生物降解性 (shēngwù jiàngjiěxìng) — capacity of a material to decompose over time
  • Finnish: biohajoavuus — capacity of a material to decompose over time
  • Georgian: ბიოხრწნადობა (bioxrc̣nadoba) — capacity of a material to decompose over time
  • Italian: biodegradabilità — capacity of a material to decompose over time
  • Polish: biodegradowalność — capacity of a material to decompose over time
  • Portuguese: biodegradabilidade — capacity of a material to decompose over time
  • Russian: биоразлага́емость (biorazlagájemostʹ) — capacity of a material to decompose over time
  • Spanish: biodegradabilidad — capacity of a material to decompose over time