anaerobic

A1N1A1E1R1O1B3I1C3
US/ˌænəˈɹoʊbɪk/

adjective

Without oxygen; especially of an environment or organism.

Similar
anaerobiotic
Opposite
aerobic
OriginFrench anaérobie ← Ancient Greek βῐ́ος (bĭ́os) ← Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- →
Less commonScrabble 13
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Meanings

adjectiveanaerobic (not comparable)

alternative anaërobic · alternative anerobic

  1. not comparableWithout oxygen; especially of an environment or organism.
  2. not comparableOf exercise, involving glycolysis (the conversion of glucose to adenosine triphosphate) rather than using oxygen to supply bodily energy needs.
  3. not comparableOf or relating to an anaerobe.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
aerobic

adjectiveliving or active in the absence of free oxygen

Similar
anaerobiotic
Opposite
aerobic

adjectivenot aerobic

Opposite
aerobic
Also see
anaerobiotic

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*ə-
  4. Ancient Greekᾰ̓- (ă-)
  5. Ancient Greekἀν- (an-)
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ews-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ewsér
  8. Proto-Hellenic*auhḗr
  9. Ancient Greekᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)
  10. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  11. Ancient Greekβῐ́ος (bĭ́os)
  12. Frenchanaérobie
  13. Englishanaerobic

From French anaérobie, from Ancient Greek ἀν- (an-, “not”) + ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”) + βίος (bíos, “life”) + -ic. By surface analysis, an- + aerobic.

More words from French, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic لَا هَوَائِيّ
  • لَا هَوَائِيّ (lā hawāʔiyy)without oxygen
Catalan anaerobi
  • anaerobiwithout oxygen
Chinese Mandarin 厭氧的 /厌氧的
  • 厭氧的 /厌氧的 (yànyǎngde)without oxygen
Danish anaerob
  • anaerobwithout oxygen
Esperanto neaerobia
  • neaerobiawithout oxygen
Finnish anaerobinen
  • anaerobinenwithout oxygen
French anaérobique
  • anaérobiquewithout oxygen
German anaerob
  • anaerobwithout oxygen
Greek αναερόβιος
  • αναερόβιος (anaeróvios)without oxygen
Hungarian anaerob
  • anaerobwithout oxygen
Indonesian anaerob, anaerobik
  • anaerobwithout oxygen
  • anaerobikwithout oxygen
  • niroksigenwithout oxygen
Irish anaeróbach
  • anaeróbachwithout oxygen
Italian anaerobico, anaerobio
  • anaerobicowithout oxygen
  • anaerobiowithout oxygen
Japanese 嫌気性
  • 嫌気性 (kenkisei)without oxygen
Korean 혐기성의
  • 혐기성의 (hyeomgiseong'ui)without oxygen
Latin anaērobicus
  • anaērobicuswithout oxygen
Māori hāorakore
  • hāorakorewithout oxygen
Norwegian Bokmål anaerob
  • anaerobwithout oxygen
Polish beztlenowy, anaerobowy
  • beztlenowywithout oxygen
  • anaerobowyrelating to anaerobes
Portuguese anaeróbico
  • anaeróbicowithout oxygen
Romanian anaerob
  • anaerobwithout oxygen
Russian анаэробный
  • анаэробный (anaerobnyj)without oxygen
Spanish anaeróbico
  • anaeróbicowithout oxygen
Swedish anaerob
  • anaerobwithout oxygen
Turkish anaerobik
  • anaerobikwithout oxygen
Vietnamese kị khí
  • kị khíwithout oxygen
Welsh anaerobig, anaerobig
  • anaerobigwithout oxygen
  • anaerobigexercise
Cite this entry
APA

anaerobic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anaerobic

MLA

“anaerobic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anaerobic. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anaerobic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anaerobic.

Source: anaerobic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.