What does botanical mean?
Botanical describes anything connected with plants or the scientific study of them, botany. It appears most often in phrases like 'botanical garden,' 'botanical name,' and 'botanical illustration,' where precision about plant species matters. The word carries an air of careful, scholarly attention to the plant world, which is why it also lends credibility to products marketed as natural — gins advertise their 'botanicals,' and skincare lines highlight plant-derived ingredients. Indeed, botanical doubles as a noun: a botanical is any substance obtained from a plant, especially one used for flavoring, fragrance, or medicinal purposes. The term entered English in the seventeenth century, borrowed through Latin from the Greek botanē, meaning pasture or herb. Whether describing an artist's meticulous flower studies or the juniper and coriander steeped into a spirit, botanical signals a close, informed relationship with plants.
Of or relating to botany or to plants.
"The museum houses an impressive collection of botanical specimens from the nineteenth century."
Often interchangeable with the shorter variant 'botanic,' though 'botanical' is more frequent in general usage.
A substance made from a plant, especially one used in medicine, cosmetics, or as a flavoring.
"This gin owes its distinctive character to nine hand-picked botanicals."
Commonly pluralized ('botanicals') on food, drink, and wellness labels.
As a noun, botanical takes the regular plural 'botanicals,' typically referring to plant-derived ingredients in products such as gin or herbal remedies.
"The distillery lists all of its botanicals on the back of the bottle."
Every botanical name you've ever seen — from Rosa to Quercus — traces back to the same Greek word for pasture grass, botanē.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of botanical
Botanical derives from the Greek botanē, meaning pasture, herbs, or plants, which passed into Latin as botanicus before entering English in the early seventeenth century alongside the related noun botany. Its cognates include botanic, botanist, and botanize, all sharing the same Greek root. The shorter form botanic remains in use, particularly in proper names such as botanic gardens, though botanical has become the dominant everyday variant.
Related word forms
How botanical is actually used
Primarily a formal or technical adjective, common in scientific writing, gardening literature, and labeling of herbal products. The noun use (a 'botanical') is standard in the drinks and wellness industries but less common elsewhere. In everyday speech, 'botanical' often carries pleasant connotations of naturalness and craftsmanship.
Easily confused with botanical
Botanic and botanical are variant adjectives with the same meaning; botanic is the older and slightly more formal form, while botanical is now the more common choice, and only botanical has the noun sense meaning a plant-derived product.