predation
noun
pre·da·tion
pri-ˈdā-shən 
1
: the killing by one living organism of another for food
These small fish are most vulnerable to predation just after sunset, when larger fish, such as barracuda and jacks, chase them into the shallow water near shore to feed on them.—
Anne Brooke
Anne Brooke… elephant seals historically avoided the mainland to protect the newborns from predation by grizzly bears.—Carolyn Longstreth
Carolyn LongstrethIn other words, just as vascular plants make tannins, phenols, sterols and alkaloids to defend against predation, it is likely that cyanobacteria synthesize poisons to ward off attack by fellow planktonic species.—Wayne Carmichael
: a mode of life in which food is primarily obtained by the killing and consuming of animals
Wayne CarmichaelPredation is important to an understanding of ancient ecology because the food chain helps determine the structure of biological communities.—Derek Briggs and Harry Whittington
Derek Briggs and Harry WhittingtonWeeks or months later, depending on ambient temperatures, a beetle returns to the water to resume a life of predation.—Natural History
Natural History2
: the act of injuring, exploiting, or plundering others for personal gain
A burglary occurs every 10 seconds, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Such predation keeps Americans uneasy …—Consumer Reports
Consumer ReportsTo the traditionalists, predation is any price or product strategy intended to impose costs on a competitor.—Insight
InsightExamples of predation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The problem for the turtles was twofold: On land, the ridley’s lone primary nesting beach made eggs and hatchlings uniquely vulnerable to poaching, predation and habitat degradation.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
But cat behaviors, such as their love of dairy and predation of wild birds, put them at higher risk, Kuchipudi said.
—Kff Health News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
Each revisionist power seeks an environment conducive to repression and predation.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
So the legislature directed the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to look into mule deer herds and rewrite lion plans in any deer areas with high lion predation.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
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Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
But cat behaviors, such as their love of dairy and predation of wild birds, put them at higher risk, Kuchipudi said.
—Kff Health News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
Each revisionist power seeks an environment conducive to repression and predation.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
So the legislature directed the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to look into mule deer herds and rewrite lion plans in any deer areas with high lion predation.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for predation
Cite this Entry
“Predation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predation. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
predation
noun
pre·da·tion
pri-ˈdā-shən
: a way of life in which food is obtained mostly by killing and eating animals
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