ornithology

1 of 2

noun

or·​ni·​thol·​o·​gy ˌȯr-nə-ˈthä-lə-jē How to pronounce ornithology (audio)
plural ornithologies
1
: a branch of zoology dealing with birds
2
: a treatise on ornithology
ornithological
ˌȯr-nə-thə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce ornithology (audio)
adjective
or less commonly ornithologic
ˌȯr-nə-thə-ˈlä-jik How to pronounce ornithology (audio)
ornithologically
ˌȯr-nə-thə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce ornithology (audio)
adverb
ornithologist
ˌȯr-nə-ˈthä-lə-jist How to pronounce ornithology (audio)
noun

ornithological

2 of 2

adjective

or·​nitho·​log·​i·​cal ȯ(r)¦nithə¦läjə̇kəl How to pronounce ornithological (audio)
¦ȯ(r)nəthə¦l-, 
-jēk-
variants or ornithologic
-jik How to pronounce ornithological (audio)
-jēk
: of or relating to ornithology
ornithologically
-jə̇k(ə)lē How to pronounce ornithological (audio)
-jēk-, 
-li
adverb

Examples of ornithology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The former species is a finch found in southeast Mexico and South America and throughout the islands of the Greater Antilles, including Cuba, according to the ornithology website Birds of the World. — David Goodhue october 6, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 The fact that air and light pollution turned out to be among the strongest factors in bird decline wasn’t much of a surprise to Allison Shultz, associate curator of ornithology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. — Mack Baysinger follow, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026 There are a lot of ways to do ornithology, but there are infinite ways to do birding — because birding is about enjoying and connecting with nature. — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026 Gillet belongs to the Bird Technical Advisory Committee, which is working with ornithology experts to establish goals for the recovery of the species. — Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 17 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ornithology

Word History

Etymology

Noun

New Latin ornithologia, from ornith- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

Noun

1654, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ornithology was in 1654

Rhymes for ornithology

See All Rhymes for ornithology

Browse Nearby Words

ornithologist
ornithology
ornithomancy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ornithology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ornithology. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ornithology

noun
or·​ni·​thol·​o·​gy ˌȯr-nə-ˈthäl-ə-jē How to pronounce ornithology (audio)
: a branch of zoology dealing with birds

More from Merriam-Webster on ornithology

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ornithology

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