arboretum

noun

ar·​bo·​re·​tum ˌär-bə-ˈrē-təm How to pronounce arboretum (audio)
plural arboretums or arboreta ˌär-bə-ˈrē-tə How to pronounce arboretum (audio)
Synonyms of arboretumnext
: a place where trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes

Examples of arboretum 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.
These seeds later grew into saplings that NASA distributed to parks, arboretums and historic sites across the globe. — Joanna Thompson, Space.com, 27 July 2026 The Jackson sculpture is a short stroll, about 10 minutes, from the arboretum’s Environmental Education Visitor Center. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026 The arboretum will host its 12th annual Plumeria Festival over two days. — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026 The Tree Walk will bring you through over 150 varieties of trees, displaying the park’s arboretum of rare and native trees. — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for arboretum

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, plantation of trees, from arbor

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arboretum was in 1796

Rhymes for arboretum

See All Rhymes for arboretum

Browse Nearby Words

arboret
arboretum
arborical
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Arboretum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arboretum. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

arboretum

noun
ar·​bo·​re·​tum ˌär-bə-ˈrēt-əm How to pronounce arboretum (audio)
plural arboretums or arboreta -ˈrēt-ə How to pronounce arboretum (audio)
: a place where trees and plants are grown for scientific and educational purposes

More from Merriam-Webster on arboretum

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for arboretum

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about arboretum

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