: 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 16,000-plus-acre forest was founded by Isaac W. Bernheim in 1929 to protect native flora and fauna in the watershed.
—
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2025
Though the Congo may not be the easiest tourist destination to visit, those who make the journey are richly rewarded with a wealth of fascinating flora and fauna—and for a particularly lavish take on the region, there’s no better host than Kamba African Rainforest Adventures.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Chatterjee points to the long-term increase in non-native flora and fauna in the region.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 Jan. 2025
Chief among them is the art direction: There’s a vibrancy and punch to the vivid color palette that borders on psychedelic and studio Obsidian seems to be leaning into weird flora and fauna à la James Cameron’s Avatar franchise and even Jeff VanderMeer’s Ambergris and Southern Reach novels.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
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Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2025
Though the Congo may not be the easiest tourist destination to visit, those who make the journey are richly rewarded with a wealth of fascinating flora and fauna—and for a particularly lavish take on the region, there’s no better host than Kamba African Rainforest Adventures.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Chatterjee points to the long-term increase in non-native flora and fauna in the region.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 Jan. 2025
Chief among them is the art direction: There’s a vibrancy and punch to the vivid color palette that borders on psychedelic and studio Obsidian seems to be leaning into weird flora and fauna à la James Cameron’s Avatar franchise and even Jeff VanderMeer’s Ambergris and Southern Reach novels.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
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 19 Jan. 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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