Predation
noun /prɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/ — The catching and consuming of prey by a predator.
Definition
The biological relationship in which one organism (the predator) hunts, catches, kills, and eats another organism (the prey). A fundamental ecological process — shaping the behavior, morphology, and population dynamics of virtually every living species.
Beyond the definition
Predation is brutal and perfectly efficient — nature's way of ensuring that weakness is temporary, that populations don't exceed resources, that every creature stays sharp enough to survive.
Origin & history
From Latin 'praedatio' (plundering); from 'praeda' (booty, prey). Related to 'predator', 'prey', and the legal term 'depredation'. The word carries its original sense of robbery.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Predation by wolves in Yellowstone reshaped the entire ecosystem — the deer moved differently, which changed the rivers.
She understood predation in corporate terms: the large player acquiring the small one before it could become a threat.
Even plants engage in predation — the Venus flytrap's genus Dionaea named after the goddess of love for its patient, lethal attraction.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Predation” when the meaning fits your context: The biological relationship in which one organism (the predator) hunts, catches, kills, and eats another organism (the prey). A fundamental ecological process — shaping the behavior, morphology, and population dynamics of virtually every living species.
Synonyms
hunting, preying, killing
Antonyms
Related words
Predation vs parasitism
Predation involves one organism killing and consuming another, resulting in immediate death. Parasitism involves a long-term relationship where one organism lives off another, usually without killing the host immediately.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Illustrative example
Hyenas Surrounding A Lioness
Three spotted hyenas surround a lioness in a dry, open grassland, showcasing their social and hunting interaction.
Predation is the ecological relationship where one organism hunts another. This interaction between the hyenas and lioness illustrates a fundamental process that shapes survival strategies and behavior for both predator and prey.
Image credit: Brittany Gunther · CC BY-SA 4.0 (license)
Uses the source's first cropped frame; resized and converted to WebP.
Questions about this word
What does "Predation" mean?
Predation is noun meaning: The catching and consuming of prey by a predator.. The biological relationship in which one organism (the predator) hunts, catches, kills, and eats another organism (the prey). A fundamental ecological process — shaping the behavior, morphology, and population dynamics of virtually every living species.
Where does the word "Predation" come from?
From Latin 'praedatio' (plundering); from 'praeda' (booty, prey). Related to 'predator', 'prey', and the legal term 'depredation'. The word carries its original sense of robbery.