What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
vegetative
Example
The vegetative stage of a plant's life cycle is when it focuses on growing leaves and stems. [vegetative: adjective]
Example
After the accident, the patient was in a vegetative state and could not respond to stimuli. [vegetative: adjective]
Example
We propagated the plant through vegetative reproduction by taking a cutting and rooting it in water. [vegetative: noun]
botanic
Example
The botanic garden had a wide variety of plant species from around the world. [botanic: adjective]
Example
She studied botanic medicine and learned how to use plants for healing purposes. [botanic: adjective]
Example
The botanic society organized a tour of the local greenhouse to learn about different plant species. [botanic: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Botanic is less common than vegetative in everyday language. Vegetative is more versatile and covers a wider range of contexts, while botanic is more specialized and used mainly in academic or technical contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between vegetative and botanic?
Vegetative and botanic are both more formal than casual in tone, but botanic is slightly more formal due to its association with scientific terminology and academic discourse.