invasive species

Meanings

nouninvasive species (plural invasive species)

biologyAny species that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native, and that has since become a nuisance through rapid spread and increase in numbers, often to the detriment of native species.
Grey squirrels are an invasive species in the UK, introduced from North America in the 1870s. They pose a problem for wildlife including endangered red squirrels, which they outcompete.
2022 July 11, Helena Horton, “Oral contraceptives could help reduce grey squirrel numbers, research finds”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 10 Dec 2022

Arabic نَوْعٌ مُجْتَاحٍ

نَوْعٌ مُجْتَاحٍ (nawʕun mujtāḥin)species that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Catalan espècie invasora

espècie invasoraspecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Chinese Mandarin 入侵物種 /入侵物种

入侵物種 /入侵物种 (rùqīn wùzhǒng)species that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Finnish haitallinen vieraslaji

haitallinen vieraslajispecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

French espèce envahissante, espèce invasive

espèce envahissantespecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance
espèce invasivespecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

German invasive Art

invasive Artspecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Hebrew מין פולש

מין פולשspecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Japanese 外来生物, 侵入種

外来生物 (gairai seibutsu)species that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance
侵入種 (shinnyūshu)species that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Korean 침입종

침입종 (chimipjong)species that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Polish gatunek inwazyjny

gatunek inwazyjnyspecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Portuguese espécie invasora

espécie invasoraspecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Spanish especie invasora

especie invasoraspecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Swedish invasiv art

invasiv artspecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Turkish istilacı tür

istilacı türspecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Vietnamese loài xâm lấn

loài xâm lấnspecies that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native and is a nuisance

Cite this entry

APA

invasive species. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/invasive%20species

MLA

“invasive species.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/invasive%20species. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “invasive species,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/invasive%20species.