trophic

¹ American  

[trof-ik, troh-fik] / ˈtrɒf ɪk, ˈtroʊ fɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to nutrition; concerned in nutritive processes.

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-trophic ² American  

1. a combining form with the meanings “having nutritional habits or requirements” of the kind specified by the initial element (autotrophic ), “affecting the activity of, maintaining” that specified (gonadotrophic ) (in this sense often interchangeable with-tropic ); also forming adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -troph or -trophy (hypertrophic ).

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trophic British  

/ ˈtrɒfɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to nutrition

   the trophic levels of a food chain

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trophic Scientific  

/ trŏf′ĭk /

1. Relating to the feeding habits of different organisms in a food chain or web.

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Usage

What does -trophic mean? The combining form -trophic is used like a suffix for a variety of meanings, including "having nutritional habits or requirements." In other words, the sense of -trophic specifies how an organism gets its nutrition or how it feeds. The combining form -trophic is also used as an adjective form of nouns ending with -troph or -trophy. In some cases, -trophic means "affecting the activity of, maintaining." In this sense, it is often synonymous with -tropic. The combining form -trophic is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology and anatomy. It comes from the Greek trophikós, meaning “pertaining to food.”Corresponding forms of -trophic combined to the beginning of words are tropho- and troph-. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use -troph, -trophy, tropho-, and troph- articles.

Other Word Forms

• trophically adverb

Etymology

Origin of trophic¹

First recorded in 1870–75, trophic is from the Greek word trophikós pertaining to food. See tropho-, -ic

Origin of -trophic²

see origin at trophic

Explanation

Trophic things have something to do with food, eating, or nutrition. You're most likely to encounter this word in an Earth science or biology textbook, where you might read about trophic webs, or interconnected food chains. Many important ideas in the study of ecology, or the science of how organisms relate to their environment and each other, have some connection to trophic subjects. One example is a "trophic cascade," an upset in the food chain that happens when large numbers of predators are removed. Trophic has a Greek root, trophe, "nourishment or food."

Example Sentences

"These findings illuminate how marine ecosystems developed through intense trophic competition and shaped the diversity we see today," added Hans Larsson, co-author of the study and Professor in the Department of Biology.

From Science Daily • Dec. 19, 2025

The wolves’ return and predatory dominance was believed to have had a widespread effect known as a trophic cascade, by decreasing grazing and restoring and expanding forests, grasses and other wildlife.

From New York Times • Apr. 23, 2024

Studies have backed this up, showing a top-down cycle of consequences called a trophic cascade.

From National Geographic • Jan. 4, 2024

When sea otters were reintroduced to an Alaskan island, they triggered a trophic cascade that led to the return of offshore kelp.

From Scientific American • Oct. 19, 2023

With one or two possible exceptions, they are invariably intracellular during the entire trophic life of the individual.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5 "Clervaux" to "Cockade" by Various