biodegradable
adjective
Ruth Lampi
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In biodegradable, with its root grad, "to step or move", and its prefix de- "downward", we get an adjective describing things that can be broken down into basic substances through normal environmental processes. Animal and plant products are normally biodegradable, but mineral substances such as metals, glass, and plastics usually are not. Newly developed biodegradable plastics are now appearing in numerous products. However, "biodegradable" products can vary greatly in how long they take to break down. A loaf of bread may require only a couple of weeks, and a piece of paper may vanish in a couple of months, but some "biodegradable" plastic milk cartons may take four or five years.
Examples of biodegradable in a Sentence
Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 31 May 2025
Utilizing biochar, a low-cost, biodegradable material as a photothermal agent, efficiently converts seawater into potable water through interfacial solar evaporation.
—Dr. Reji Thomas, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
They could also be used to make biodegradable moisture sensors and fungal biobatteries that will be safe to embed in natural environments.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 16 May 2025
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To make reefs more appealing, the research team developed a soft, biodegradable material called SNAP-X, designed to recreate the chemical cues of healthy reefs.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for biodegradable
Cite this Entry
“Biodegradable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodegradable. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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biodegradable
adjective
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biodegradable
adjective
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