Standard Lemma guide

eutrophication

noun · 2 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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The process of becoming eutrophic; the ecosystem's response to the addition of artificial or natural nutrients, mainly phosphates, through detergents, fertilizers, or sewage, to an aquatic system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

excessive nutrients in a lake or other body of water, usually caused by runoff of nutrients (animal waste, fertilizers, sewage) from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life; the decomposition of the plants depletes the supply of oxygen, leading to the death of animal life

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he argued that the controlling factor in eutrophication is not nitrate but phosphate

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: organic process, biological process

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English eutrophic Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English eutrophicate Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English -ion English eutrophication From eutrophicate + -ion.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 富營養化 /富营养化 (fùyíngyǎnghuà) — becoming eutrophic
  • Czech: eutrofizace — becoming eutrophic
  • Danish: eutrofiering — becoming eutrophic
  • Danish: overgødskning — becoming eutrophic
  • Dutch: eutrofiëring — becoming eutrophic
  • Faroese: ovtaðing — becoming eutrophic
  • Finnish: rehevöityminen — becoming eutrophic
  • French: eutrophisation — becoming eutrophic
  • Indonesian: eutrofikasi — becoming eutrophic
  • Italian: eutrofizzazione — becoming eutrophic
  • Occitan: eutrofizacion — becoming eutrophic
  • Russian: эвтрофика́ция (evtrofikácija) — becoming eutrophic
  • Swedish: eutrofiering — becoming eutrophic
  • Swedish: övergödning — becoming eutrophic
  • Turkish: ötrofikasyon — becoming eutrophic