English Reference
Adjective

anthropogenic

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ˌænθɹəpəˈdʒɛnɪk/ UK /ˌænθɹəpəʊdʒˈɛnɪk/ an·thro·pogenic

adj.caused by human activity. You use this to describe things like pollution, climate change, or deforestation that people have created.

adj.relating to or resulting from human activity. Typically used in scientific or environmental contexts to distinguish human-caused changes from natural processes.


SIMPLE

The rise in global temperatures is largely anthropogenic.

CONTEXTUAL

Scientists are studying how anthropogenic noise in the ocean affects the communication of whales and dolphins.

COMPLEX

The conference focused on mitigating anthropogenic carbon emissions, recognizing that industrial expansion and urbanization have significantly altered the planet's atmospheric composition over the last century.

Soundscapes dominated by anthropogenic sounds have been linked to poor mental health in people, whereas the opposite has been found for natural sounds like birdsong or forest soundscapes.

Aeon· 17 Aug 2026

The researchers also examined how much of the snowfall increase could be attributed to anthropogenic forcing.

ScienceDaily· 6 Sept 2026

From anthropo- + -genic, attested 1889.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated