non-biodegradable
|non/bi/o/de/grad/a/ble|
🇺🇸
/nɒnˌbaɪ.oʊ.dɪˈɡreɪ.də.bəl/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˌbaɪ.əʊ.dɪˈɡreɪ.də.bəl/
not decomposable
Etymology
'non-biodegradable' originates from the prefix 'non-' meaning 'not', and 'biodegradable', which comes from 'bio-' meaning 'life' and 'degradable' meaning 'capable of being broken down'.
'Biodegradable' evolved from the combination of 'bio-' and 'degradable', and the prefix 'non-' was added to indicate the opposite.
Initially, it meant 'not capable of being broken down by living organisms', and this meaning has remained consistent.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not capable of being decomposed by biological processes or organisms.
Plastic bags are often non-biodegradable, leading to environmental pollution.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:45