carnivorous
adjective
car·niv·o·rous
kär-ˈni-v(ə-)rəs 
1
: subsisting or feeding on animal tissues
2
of a plant
: subsisting on nutrients obtained from the breakdown of animal protoplasm (as of insects)
3
: of or relating to the carnivores
4
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The order of mammals that Linnaeus named the Carnivora includes such families as the dogs, the bears, the raccoons, the weasels, the hyenas, the cats, and the seals. Most carnivores eat only meat in the wild, but some have varied diets; some bears, for instance, normally eat far more vegetation than meat. Carnivores have powerful jaws and complex teeth, and most are highly intelligent. Humans, like their ape cousins, are basically omnivores.
Examples of carnivorous in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ferrets are fast, carnivorous, and pose a threat to small mammals and birds.
—
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
According to the team, this behavior may be a way for the adult bats to gradually wean offspring from a milk diet to a carnivorous one.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2025
My neighbors in Elbert County promptly responded with outrage, flying banners and flags declaring their support for agriculture and a carnivorous diet.
—Kayla Gabehart, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2025
The story of other giant carnivorous dinosaurs, though, was a bit more complicated.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025
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Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
According to the team, this behavior may be a way for the adult bats to gradually wean offspring from a milk diet to a carnivorous one.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2025
My neighbors in Elbert County promptly responded with outrage, flying banners and flags declaring their support for agriculture and a carnivorous diet.
—Kayla Gabehart, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2025
The story of other giant carnivorous dinosaurs, though, was a bit more complicated.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carnivorous
Cite this Entry
“Carnivorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnivorous. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
carnivorous
adjective
car·niv·o·rous
kär-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs
1
a
: feeding on animal tissues
b
: trapping and digesting insects
carnivorous plants
2
: of or relating to the carnivores
Medical Definition
carnivorous
adjective
car·niv·o·rous
kär-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs
1
: subsisting or feeding on animal tissues
2
: of or relating to the carnivores
carnivorously
adverb
carnivorousness
noun
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