astrobiology

[ as-troh-bahy-ol-uh-jee ]

noun

1. (not in technical use) exobiology.

astrobiology

/ ˌæstrəʊbaɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the branch of biology that investigates the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe

astrobiology

/ ăs′trō-bī-ŏl′ə-jē /

1. See exobiology

Other Words From

• as·tro·bi·o·log·i·cal [as-troh-bi-, uh, -, loj, -i-k, uh, l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of astrobiology¹

First recorded in 1950–55; astro- + biology

Example Sentences

“I did not see myself in an astrobiology lab,” Flores said from her office at the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, where she has worked since 2023 as an engineering associate.

From Los Angeles Times

While Hays, deputy program scientist for NASA’s astrobiology program, watched it land, she thought of a different mission — her mission, called Mars Sample Return, or MSR, set to launch later this decade.

From Salon

Students in my astrobiology class got lectures live from Johnson Space Center in Houston.

From New York Times

“It’s almost like a science-fiction story wrapped up in a paper,” says David Grinspoon, senior scientist for astrobiology strategy at NASA’s headquarters in Washington DC.

From Scientific American

Because its present-day chemistry and mineralogy are virtually unchanged since its formation, it holds clues to the origins and development of rocky planets such as Earth, and could prove central to studies of astrobiology.

From Reuters