Biodegradable

adjective

/ˌbaɪ.əʊ.dɪˈɡɹeɪ.də.bəl/

Capable of being decomposed by the action of living organisms, especially bacteria and fungi, into natural substances such as water, carbon dioxide, and organic matter.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

A credible circular-economy strategy must move beyond cosmetic gestures and mandate genuinely biodegradable packaging, so that municipal waste streams decompose harmlessly rather than entombing landfills in microplastics for generations.

Synonyms

decomposabledegradablecompostableperishablebreakable-downorganic

Antonyms

non-biodegradablepersistentindestructibleimperishable

🌱 Word Family

biodegrade (v), biodegradation (n), biodegradability (n), non-biodegradable (adj), biodegraded (adj)

🔡 Root

Greek bios (life) → bio- + Latin dēgradāre (to reduce in rank) → degradable; compound formed in English, late 1950s.

📜 Etymology

Formed within English by compounding bio- (from Greek bios, "life") + degradable (from Latin dēgradāre, "to reduce in rank"); first attested in the late 1950s.

🧠 Memory Hook

BIO (life) + DEGRADE (break down) + ABLE — "able to be broken down by living things." Picture microbes feasting on a banana peel until it vanishes into the soil.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2022 — Pollution
Prelims 2020 — Nano Technology

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Biodegradable” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🌿 Environment & Ecology 📖 Seen in: Waste Management & Ecosystem Services

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