: animal life
especially
: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment
the diverse fauna of the island
compare flora
faunally
adverb
Did you know?
Faunus and Fauna were the Roman woodland god and goddess for whom animals were a particular concern. Faunus was the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan, and like Pan, he had goats' legs. Their goat-legged helpers, called fauns, were known for their love of pleasure and mischief. The fauna of a continent are often very similar across a broad east-west band; from north to south, however, they may vary greatly.
Examples of fauna in a Sentence
studying the diverse fauna of the island
studying the faunas of different islands
Recent Examples on the Web
Impressive photorealistic details in certain textures, especially in the closeups of some of the creatures the roaming seeds encounter on this planet that closely resembles Earth and its flora and fauna.
—
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Dec. 2025
Plus, McManus adds, the surrounding landscape is equally impressive, with unique flora and fauna.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
Daily indoor and outdoor activities might include yoga, meditation, a winter flora and fauna walk, and drumming.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Midwest Living, 29 Dec. 2025
Although the other Na’vi are very tapped into large Mother Gaia notions of flora and fauna, and the belief that everyone is connected on Pandora, the ash people have a much more nihilistic worldview.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2025
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Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Dec. 2025
Plus, McManus adds, the surrounding landscape is equally impressive, with unique flora and fauna.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
Daily indoor and outdoor activities might include yoga, meditation, a winter flora and fauna walk, and drumming.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Midwest Living, 29 Dec. 2025
Although the other Na’vi are very tapped into large Mother Gaia notions of flora and fauna, and the belief that everyone is connected on Pandora, the ash people have a much more nihilistic worldview.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fauna
Cite this Entry
“Fauna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fauna. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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Medical Definition
fauna
noun
fau·na
ˈfȯn-ə, ˈfän- 
: animal life
especially
: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment compare flora sense 1
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