Meaning & use
biophilic
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Relating to the human tendency to feel calm, happy or at ease when surrounded by nature and living things.
Grammar: Describes a quality or tendency, so it is not usually graded: you would not normally say 'more biophilic' about a person.
Patterns
- biophilic design
- a biophilic approach to something
- biophilic elements in a building
The architects used a biophilic approach, filling the office with plants and natural light.
Researchers say biophilic surroundings can lower stress levels in hospitals.
Her biophilic instincts showed in the way she chose a house with a big garden.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Describing a design or building that deliberately includes natural features such as plants, wood, water and daylight.
Grammar: Comes before the noun it describes: a biophilic office, biophilic features.
Patterns
- biophilic design
- biophilic building
- biophilic features
The new library is a biophilic building, with trees growing in the central hall.
Biophilic design is now a standard topic in architecture courses.
They added a green wall and a small fountain as biophilic touches.
Common combinations
- biophilic design
- Biophilic design aims to connect people indoors with the natural world.
- a biophilic approach
- The firm took a biophilic approach to the whole campus.
- biophilic elements
- Wood, stone and running water are common biophilic elements.
- biophilic architecture
- Biophilic architecture often uses large windows and planted roofs.
- highly biophilic
- The planners described the riverside district as highly biophilic.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nature-friendly
- A general, non-technical way to say something suits or supports nature, but it does not carry the specific idea of human well-being.
- green
- Often used for buildings with plants or low environmental impact, though 'green' focuses on ecology rather than people's need for nature.
Word family
- biophilia noun
- The supposed human love of nature and living things.
- biophile noun
- A person who feels a strong attraction to nature and living things.
Commonly confused: biophilic or biopic? biophilic or bionic?
biophilic vs biopic
A biopic is a film about a real person's life; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with nature or design.
biophilic vs bionic
Bionic means using mechanical or electronic parts in the body, as in a bionic arm, so it is not related to nature.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'biophilic' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Biophilic' is an adjective describing things connected with people's need for nature, and it most often appears before nouns like 'design', so option 0 fits. Option 1 wrongly treats it as a verb, option 2 confuses it with a medical term, and option 3 uses it where a word like 'long' or 'boring' is needed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “biophilic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.