: 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 dwelling’s relationship to the park and its native flora and fauna guided much of Helgerson’s brief for the interiors.
—
David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 20 Nov. 2024
Climb the cabin’s scenic watchtower to scout for wildlife like ospreys, bald eagles, and deer, or catch more flora and fauna from the nearby hiking jaunts, including six-mile out-and-back Snoopers Rock Trail, roughly a 30-minute drive away.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2024
Catenary's Bloom scratchers, though, take it up a notch, using pet-safe dyes to create a beautiful, natural design mimicking flora and fauna.
—Medea Giordano, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
Six generations later, the business still blooms: Their own custom designs, which have been decorator go-tos for decades, retain the flora and fauna of these original references.
—Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fauna 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 20 Nov. 2024
Climb the cabin’s scenic watchtower to scout for wildlife like ospreys, bald eagles, and deer, or catch more flora and fauna from the nearby hiking jaunts, including six-mile out-and-back Snoopers Rock Trail, roughly a 30-minute drive away.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2024
Catenary's Bloom scratchers, though, take it up a notch, using pet-safe dyes to create a beautiful, natural design mimicking flora and fauna.
—Medea Giordano, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
Six generations later, the business still blooms: Their own custom designs, which have been decorator go-tos for decades, retain the flora and fauna of these original references.
—Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fauna
Dictionary Entries Near fauna
Cite this Entry
“Fauna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fauna. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share