: animal life
especially
: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment
the diverse fauna of the island
compare flora
faunally
adverb
Did you know?
Faunus and Fauna were the Roman woodland god and goddess for whom animals were a particular concern. Faunus was the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan, and like Pan, he had goats' legs. Their goat-legged helpers, called fauns, were known for their love of pleasure and mischief. The fauna of a continent are often very similar across a broad east-west band; from north to south, however, they may vary greatly.
Examples of fauna in a Sentence
studying the diverse fauna of the island
studying the faunas of different islands
Recent Examples on the Web
The flora and fauna, the natural and cultural resources inside of the park don't belong to any political party.
—
Conor Knighton, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2025
Beck Harlan Pay close attention to the flora and fauna growing around you.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Fish, swim, or paddle on Lake Shelby; study native flora and fauna at the nature center on Middle Lake; and enjoy the butterfly garden east of Little Lake.
—Casey Barber, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2025
Fresh water melting from the bottom of the iceberg could affect the local ocean environment and flora and fauna along the island's shoreline.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fauna
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Conor Knighton, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2025
Beck Harlan Pay close attention to the flora and fauna growing around you.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Fish, swim, or paddle on Lake Shelby; study native flora and fauna at the nature center on Middle Lake; and enjoy the butterfly garden east of Little Lake.
—Casey Barber, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2025
Fresh water melting from the bottom of the iceberg could affect the local ocean environment and flora and fauna along the island's shoreline.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fauna
Cite this Entry
“Fauna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fauna. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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Medical Definition
fauna
noun
fau·na
ˈfȯn-ə, ˈfän- 
: animal life
especially
: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment compare flora sense 1
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