biotic
Biotic (adjective) means relating to living organisms, or caused by them. Example: “Predation, competition and disease are all biotic pressures on the population.”
How to Use Biotic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo do with living things.
Scientific; almost always paired with abiotic in ecology lessons and textbooks.
If you can ask whether it is alive or was made by something alive, it is biotic.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Predation, competition and disease are all _____ pressures on the population.
Etymology
From Greek biotikos, meaning of life, from bios meaning life.
Synonyms
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Related Words
Rhymes for biotic
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between biotic and abiotic?
Biotic factors are the living parts of an ecosystem and anything they produce, such as animals, plants, bacteria and leaf litter. Abiotic factors are the non-living physical and chemical parts, such as temperature, sunlight, pH and rainfall. Both together shape which species can survive in a habitat.
Is dead wood biotic or abiotic?
Dead wood is usually classed as biotic, because it came from a living organism and still supports decomposers. The distinction rests on origin, not on whether the thing is currently alive.