anthropogenic

adjective

an·​thro·​po·​gen·​ic ˌan(t)-thrə-pə-ˈje-nik How to pronounce anthropogenic (audio)
: of, relating to, or resulting from the influence of human beings on nature
anthropogenic pollutants
anthropogenically
ˌan(t)-thrə-pə-ˈje-ni-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce anthropogenic (audio)
adverb

Examples of anthropogenic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Agriculture is the biggest contributor to this anthropogenic portion of methane emissions, but the combination of natural gas and petroleum production, processing and transportation comes in second. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2026 Around a third of methane emitted into the atmosphere comes from natural sources like wetlands, with the rest from anthropogenic sources such as cattle, rice farming, landfills and biomass burning. — CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Guyette and his colleagues increasingly suspected that fires were not natural but anthropogenic—ignited by people. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 The report found that so far this year, Asia has faced the greatest impacts of ozone pollution, fueled by widespread anthropogenic emissions from industrialization, economic development, urban expansion and transport across the continent. — Dan Peck, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anthropogenic

Word History

Etymology

anthropo- + -genic

First Known Use

circa 1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anthropogenic was circa 1883

Rhymes for anthropogenic

See All Rhymes for anthropogenic

Browse Nearby Words

anthropodermic
anthropogenic
anthropogeny
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anthropogenic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthropogenic. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Medical Definition

anthropogenic

adjective
an·​thro·​po·​gen·​ic -pə-ˈjen-ik How to pronounce anthropogenic (audio)
: of, relating to, or resulting from the influence of human beings on nature
anthropogenic sources of pollution
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