parasitism
noun
par·a·sit·ism
ˈper-ə-sə-ˌti-zəm 
-ˌsī-,
ˈpa-rə-
1
: the behavior of a parasite
2
: an intimate association between organisms of two or more kinds
especially
: one in which a parasite obtains benefits from a host which it usually injures
3
Examples of parasitism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That parasitism has cropped up so many times in unrelated species — and thus evolved again and again — speaks to its success as an adaptive strategy.
—
Kate Golembiewski, Discover Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
Whether that reduces incidence of blowfly parasitism in sheep, however, remains to be seen, Ward-Fear notes.
—Bygennaro Tomma, science.org, 11 July 2024
Taking its cue from article 1240 of France’s Civil Code, parasitism is defined as one party following in the footsteps of another party’s efforts and know-how to benefit from their enterprise without seeking permission or making payment.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 July 2024
That study, which was conducted in Delaware, found that six of 40 fawn carcasses showed signs of lone-star tick parasitism, which was previously thought to be more prevalent in the South.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for parasitism 
Kate Golembiewski, Discover Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
Whether that reduces incidence of blowfly parasitism in sheep, however, remains to be seen, Ward-Fear notes.
—Bygennaro Tomma, science.org, 11 July 2024
Taking its cue from article 1240 of France’s Civil Code, parasitism is defined as one party following in the footsteps of another party’s efforts and know-how to benefit from their enterprise without seeking permission or making payment.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 July 2024
That study, which was conducted in Delaware, found that six of 40 fawn carcasses showed signs of lone-star tick parasitism, which was previously thought to be more prevalent in the South.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for parasitism
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parasitism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Parasitism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parasitism. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
parasitism
noun
par·a·sit·ism
ˈpar-ə-sə-ˌtiz-əm
-ˌsīt-ˌiz-
: a close association between living things of two or more kinds of which one is a parasite obtaining benefits from the other which is a host and is usually harmed in some way
Medical Definition
parasitism
noun
par·a·sit·ism
ˈpar-ə-sə-ˌtiz-əm
-ˌsīt-ˌiz-
-ˌsīt-ˌiz-
1
: an intimate association between organisms of two or more kinds
especially
: one in which a parasite obtains benefits from a host which it usually injures
2
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