bioavailability

noun

bio·​avail·​abil·​i·​ty ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-ə-ˌvā-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce bioavailability (audio)
: the degree and rate at which a substance (such as a drug) is absorbed into a living system or is made available at the site of physiological activity
bioavailable
ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-ə-ˈvā-lə-bəl How to pronounce bioavailability (audio)
adjective

Examples of bioavailability in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Pills can pack polyphenols, too, but shelf-life and bioavailability depend on the type of polyphenol and what else is mixed in. — Matt Fuchs, Time, 24 Sep. 2025 The bioavailability of whey matters more than most practitioners realize. — William Jones, Ascend Agency, 13 Apr. 2026 With food, they're used to encapsulate oils, vitamins, flavours and nutrients (like carotenoids) to enhance bioavailability and digestibility. — New Atlas, 8 Dec. 2025 Improve overall iron bioavailability. — Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bioavailability

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bioavailability was in 1961

Rhymes for bioavailability

See All Rhymes for bioavailability

Browse Nearby Words

bioassay
bioavailability
biobehavioral
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bioavailability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bioavailability. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

bioavailability

noun
bio·​avail·​abil·​i·​ty -ə-ˌvā-lə-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce bioavailability (audio)
plural bioavailabilities
: the degree and rate at which a substance (as a drug) is absorbed into a living system or is made available at the site of physiological activity
bioavailable
-ˈvā-lə-bəl How to pronounce bioavailability (audio)
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All