threatened

adjective

threat·​ened ˈthre-tᵊnd How to pronounce threatened (audio)
: having an uncertain chance of continued survival
a threatened species
specifically : likely to become an endangered species

Examples of threatened in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
According to the administration’s press release, more than 50 rare or threatened species live within the Chuckwalla monument’s borders, including the Chuckwalla lizard from which the monument draws its name. Miyo McGinn, Outside Online, 7 Jan. 2025 Critical habitats are areas where the Service can manage or protect endangered and threatened species. Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 17 Dec. 2024 Along with the Western Ghats, the paper identifies Lake Victoria in Africa, Lake Titicaca in South America and Sri Lanka’s Wet Zone as particularly species-rich—and threatened—freshwater regions. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025 While the exact species isn’t clear (the genus includes seven types), they are all considered threatened or critically endangered. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for threatened 

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of threatened was in 1960

Dictionary Entries Near threatened

Cite this Entry

“Threatened.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threatened. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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