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Definition of gaia

gaia

/ˈɡaɪ.ə/
Gai · a
Adjective:Gaian
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gaia Lexical Profile

• noun

1

In Greek mythology, the primordial goddess and ancestral mother of all life who personifies the Earth.

Example

"In Hesiod's Theogony, Gaia emerges after Chaos to give birth to Uranus, the starry sky, and Pontus, the sea."

2

The global ecosystem understood as a single, complex, self-regulating superorganism composed of all living things and their physical environment on Earth.

Example

"Chemists James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis popularized the concept of Gaia to explain how the biosphere actively maintains conditions suitable for life."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for gaia

• Rhymes for gaia

• Nearby Words

gah
gahinga
gai lan
gaia
gaiety
gaillardia
gaily

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Gaîa (Γαῖα), a poetic form of Gê (Γῆ, 'land' or 'earth'), representing the mythological personification of the Earth.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Gaia. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/gaia
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