生物|せいぶつseibutsu[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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- nounliving thing; organism; creature; life
- nounbiology
- Synonym生き物いきものNeutralNative Japanese word for things that are alive, often the familiar animals around us, as in 「生き物を飼う」; more colloquial than 「生物」.
- Synonym生体せいたいNeutralA living body or organism; medical and technical term seen in 「生体認証」 and 「生体反応」.
- Synonym有機体ゆうきたいWrittenWritten, academic term for a life form made of organic matter; also used figuratively for an organization whose parts depend on one another.
- Related生類しょうるいWrittenOld-fashioned written word for all living things; best known from the edict 「生類憐みの令」.
- Antonym無生物むせいぶつNeutralSomething with no life; the direct opposite of 「生物」.
- Antonym死物しぶつWrittenWritten word for a lifeless or useless thing; opposite of 「生物」 in whether something is alive.
Use 「生物」 for life forms in scientific contexts and for the discipline of biology. In everyday speech say 「生き物」; in medical or technical settings use 「生体」. 「有機体」 and 「生類」 are written or dated; the opposite of 「生物」 is 「無生物」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


