parasitical

C2 Topic:Science & Research

US /ˌpɛɹəˈsɪtɪkəl/ UK /ˌpærəˈsɪtɪkəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #94051

Meanings

1

adj
relating to, caused by, or living as a parasite; parasitic

The botanist identified a parasitical vine drawing nutrients from its host tree.
2

adj
figuratively, exploiting other people or depending on them without giving anything in return

Critics condemned the scheme as a parasitical drain on public funds.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · relating to, caused by, or... parasitic

2 adj · figuratively, exploiting... exploitative dependent predatory

Opposites

independentself-supportingmutualistic

Word family

Derived forms parasitically

Related forms parasiteparasitismparasitizehost

Etymology

Formed from parasitic + -al, ultimately from Greek parasitos, literally 'one who eats beside another,' from para- ('beside') + sitos ('food'). Greek and Latin used the source word for a dependent dinner guest; biology adopted parasite for an organism living at a host's expense, which reinforced the figurative sense.

Topics

Science & Research

External links

# parasitical

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌpɛɹəˈsɪtɪkəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌpærəˈsɪtɪkəl/
**Frequency rank:** 94051

## Meanings
1. relating to, caused by, or living as a parasite; parasitic
2. figuratively, exploiting other people or depending on them without giving anything in return

## Examples
- The botanist identified a parasitical vine drawing nutrients from its host tree.
- Critics condemned the scheme as a parasitical drain on public funds.

## Synonyms
- parasitic
- exploitative
- dependent
- predatory

## Antonyms
- independent
- self-supporting
- mutualistic

## Derived Forms
- parasitically

## Related Forms
- parasite
- parasitism
- parasitize
- host

## Etymology
Formed from parasitic + -al, ultimately from Greek parasitos, literally 'one who eats beside another,' from para- ('beside') + sitos ('food'). Greek and Latin used the source word for a dependent dinner guest; biology adopted parasite for an organism living at a host's expense, which reinforced the figurative sense.

## Topics
- Science & Research

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