parasitism

noun/ˈpærəsɪˌtɪzəm/

Frequency rank: #19,531 most common English word

Meaning

a relationship in which one organism lives on or in another and causes it harm while benefiting itself.

Illustration for the English word “parasitism”

Example sentence

The biologist explained that parasitism occurs when one organism benefits at the expense of another.

Synonyms & related words

Practice this word in the quiz

More words in ranks 19,501–19,600