# biodegradable
## English
### Alternative forms

* bio-degradable

### Etymology

From bio- +‎ degradable.

### Pronunciation

* (US) IPA: /(ˌ)baɪoʊdəˈɡɹeɪdəbl̩/, /(ˌ)baɪədəˈɡɹeɪdəbl̩/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)

### Adjective

biodegradable (comparative more biodegradable, superlative most biodegradable)
* Capable of being decomposed by biological activity, especially by microorganisms.
** 2013 May-June, Charles T. Ambrose, “Alzheimer’s Disease”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 200:Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads.

#### Derived terms

* biodegradability
* biodegradably
* nonbiodegradable
* oxobiodegradable
* oxybiodegradable
* unbiodegradable

#### Related terms

* biodegradation
* biodegrade

#### Translations
### Noun

biodegradable (plural biodegradables)
* Any material that can be decomposed by biological activity.

## Catalan
### Etymology

From bio- +‎ degradable.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central) [ˌbi.u.ðə.ɣɾəˈðab.blə]
* IPA: (Balearic) [ˌbi.o.ðə.ɣɾəˈðab.blə]
* IPA: (Valencia) [ˌbi.o.ðe.ɣɾaˈða.ble]

### Adjective

biodegradable m or f (masculine and feminine plural biodegradables)
* biodegradable
** 2019 August 22, Gemma Garrido Granger, “L'aigua que bevem conté microplàstics però no suposen un risc per a la salut”, in Ara‎:La majoria són politereftalats d'etilè, un material reciclable però no biodegradable que serveix per envasar líquids com l'aigua i la cervesa, i polipropilens, un material versàtil i molt habitual en els embalatges alimentaris, però també en les canonades o les joguines.Most are polyethylene terephthalates, a recyclable but not biodegradable material that is used to bottle liquids such as water and beer, and polypropylenes, a versatile material very common in food packaging, but also in pipes or toys.

#### Related terms

* biodegradació

### Further reading

* “biodegradable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “biodegradable”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “biodegradable” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

## Galician
### Alternative forms

* biodegradábel

### Etymology

From bio- +‎ degradable.

### Adjective

biodegradable m or f (plural biodegradables)
* biodegradable

#### Related terms

* biodegradación

### Further reading

* “biodegradable”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

## Spanish
### Etymology

From bio- +‎ degradable.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bjodeɡɾaˈdable/ [bjo.ð̞e.ɣ̞ɾaˈð̞a.β̞le]
** Rhymes: -able
** Syllabification: bio‧de‧gra‧da‧ble
* IPA: /biodeɡɾaˈdable/ [bi.o.ð̞e.ɣ̞ɾaˈð̞a.β̞le]
** Rhymes: -able
** Syllabification: bi‧o‧de‧gra‧da‧ble

### Adjective

biodegradable m or f (masculine and feminine plural biodegradables)
* biodegradable

#### Related terms

* biodegradación

### Further reading

* “biodegradable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10