symbiotic
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of symbiotic
Explanation
A symbiotic relationship benefits both parties. The two of you have a symbiotic relationship: she fixes your car and you style her hair. In biology, symbiotic refers to any diverse organisms that live together, but in this case, the relationship is not necessarily beneficial to both. Parasites, for example, have a symbiotic relationship with their hosts, but only the parasite benefits. If you contract a parasite, you might consider charging rent or throwing the bum out!
Vocabulary lists containing symbiotic
Words to Live By: Bio
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This Week in Pop Culture : January 5 - 11, 2019
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Cosmos
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The brewery created the craft ale in partnership with The Assembly, which also is ProPublica’s journalistic partner in this private school endeavor, so it all felt very symbiotic.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
“It was this very symbiotic kind of thing in front of the camera,” MacLachlan continues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Coral is made up of tiny individual animals called polyps, which maintain a symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae that live within their tissues.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Kombucha is made when a SCOBY, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, ferments sweetened tea.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026
It will have to develop new symbiotic relations with the Oceanographic Institute, since both places have so much at stake.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
