eusocial

American  

[yoo-soh-shuhl] / yuˈsoʊ ʃəl /

adjective

Animal Behavior.

1. of or relating to a form of insect society, as that of ants, characterized by specialization of tasks and cooperative care of the young.

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Other Word Forms

• eusociality noun

Etymology

Origin of eusocial

First recorded in 1970–75; eu- + social

Example Sentences

The sociable, or eusocial, nature of naked mole rat communities means they're basically all siblings or cousins.

From Salon • May 11, 2025

Like bees, they are eusocial: they have a bewildering array of different forms and a single monarch, the Grand Lunar.

From Nature • Jul. 8, 2019

Honeybees are eusocial creatures, making them one of the most studied insects on the planet.

From The Guardian • Oct. 16, 2018

It is the world’s only eusocial mammal, with hundreds of sterile workers serving a single, constantly pregnant queen.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 1, 2017

In eusocial organisms, controlling conflict—through castes, for instance, which make it very clear who gives way to whom—allows them to live together.

From Scientific American • Dec. 1, 2015