abiotic

[ ey-bahy-ot-ik, ab-ee- ]

adjective

1. of or characterized by the absence of life or living organisms.

abiotic

/ ā′bī-ŏt′ĭk /

1. Not associated with or derived from living organisms. Abiotic factors in an environment include such items as sunlight, temperature, wind patterns, and precipitation.
2. Compare biotic

Other Words From

• a·bi·ot·i·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of abiotic¹

a- ⁶ + biotic

Example Sentences

The results show that biotic interactions can have a strong influence on plants' ability to adapt to abiotic factors and that adaptation is most efficient when plants are exposed to a variety of interactions.

From Science Daily

Specifically, they cite several questions that existing laws leave unaddressed -- including issues of atmospheric and abiotic contamination -- which constitute important gaps in planetary policy that must be confronted, collaboratively.

From Science Daily

"But few studies have examined biotic impacts, such as pathogen infection, on thermal tolerance in natural populations in combination with abiotic factors," she explained.

From Science Daily

"In addition, physical traits such as body size or fat content can impact how organisms tolerate temperature, so it's vital to consider individual condition, as well as the abiotic and biotic factors that individuals experience in natural environments, when evaluating the heat tolerance of populations."

From Science Daily

Jones noted that there is growing interest in studying the heat tolerance and acclimation capacity of ectotherms in the face of changing abiotic conditions such as ambient temperature.

From Science Daily