biobased
|bi-o-based|
🇺🇸
/ˌbaɪ.oʊˈbeɪst/
🇬🇧
/ˌbaɪ.əʊˈbeɪst/
based on life-derived resources
Etymology
'biobased' originates from Modern English, specifically formed by combining the prefix 'bio-' (from Greek 'bios' meaning 'life') with the English adjective 'based' (from 'base').
'bio-' comes from Greek 'bios' meaning 'life'. 'Base' entered English via Old French 'base' and Late Latin/Greek 'basis' meaning 'foundation'; the compound 'biobased' is a modern technical formation (late 20th century) used in industry and policy to describe materials derived from biomass.
Originally, 'bio-' simply meant 'life' and 'based' meant 'having a base or foundation'; when combined in modern usage the compound came to mean 'having a base in biological/biomass sources' specifically in materials and product contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
made from or derived from biological (renewable) resources rather than fossil fuels or petrochemicals; relating to materials or products whose carbon comes primarily from recent biomass.
The company launched a new line of biobased plastics made from plant oils.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/09 13:40