parasitic
adjective
par·a·sit·ic
ˌper-ə-ˈsi-tik
ˌpa-rə-
variants
or less commonly parasitical
ˌper-ə-ˈsi-ti-kəl
ˌpa-rə-
1
: of, relating to, or being a parasite: such as
a(1)
: living on another organism in parasitism
Some caterpillars even sport white spots that resemble the eggs of the parasitic wasps that prey upon caterpillars …—Mary Parker Sonis
a parasitic yeast/plant
Filariasis, caused by parasitic worms in the human lymphatic system and carried in mosquitoes, infects some eighty million people in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.—Wayne Biddle
(2)
: caused by or resulting from the effects of parasites
a parasitic disease/infection
(3)
of a bird
: laying eggs in the nest of another bird
The cowbird and the cuckoo are parasitic birds.
b
: exploiting the hospitality of others : depending on another or others for existence or support without making a useful or adequate return
… manipulated and glorified by self-serving, parasitic northern bureaucrats.—Edward Friedman
2
phonetics
: of, relating to, or constituting a speech sound that is interposed between two other sounds usually as a by-product of transition from one place of articulation to another
The \ə\ in \ˈeləm\ for elm or in \ˈathəˌlēt\ for athlete, the \t\ in \fents\ for fence, and the \b\ and b in \ˈnimbəl\ nimble from Middle English nimel are parasitic.
parasitically
ˌper-ə-ˈsi-ti-kəl
adverb
ˌpa-rə-
During sexually quiescent phase, lampreys live simply, communally or parasitically upon other fish.
—Earl W. Count
… those who live parasitically on the political system …
—John Derbyshire
Cite this Entry
“Parasitic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parasitic. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
