predation

noun

pre·​da·​tion pri-ˈdā-shən 

1

: the killing by one living organism of another for food

These small fish are most vulnerable to predation just after sunset, when larger fish, such as barracuda and jacks, chase them into the shallow water near shore to feed on them.

—Anne Brooke

… elephant seals historically avoided the mainland to protect the newborns from predation by grizzly bears.

—Carolyn Longstreth

In other words, just as vascular plants make tannins, phenols, sterols and alkaloids to defend against predation, it is likely that cyanobacteria synthesize poisons to ward off attack by fellow planktonic species.

—Wayne Carmichael

: a mode of life in which food is primarily obtained by the killing and consuming of animals

Predation is important to an understanding of ancient ecology because the food chain helps determine the structure of biological communities.

—Derek Briggs and Harry Whittington

Weeks or months later, depending on ambient temperatures, a beetle returns to the water to resume a life of predation.

—Natural History

2

: the act of injuring, exploiting, or plundering others for personal gain

A burglary occurs every 10 seconds, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Such predation keeps Americans uneasy …

—Consumer Reports

To the traditionalists, predation is any price or product strategy intended to impose costs on a competitor.

—Insight

Examples of predation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is due in part to the high level of predation that Upper-Peninsula whitetails face compared to their southern counterparts, which don’t have wolves to worry about. —Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 28 Aug. 2025

On the flip side, uncontrolled access also left them at risk of disease and parasites and increased the likelihood of death or injury as a result of traffic or predation. —Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025

This grim structure has varied with time, yet its fundamentals—economic predation, white supremacy—remain intact. —Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025

The Socorro dove and the Socorro elf owl became extinct in the wild due to predation and habitat loss, while other species like Townsend’s shearwater were pushed to the brink. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English predacion, from Latin praedation-, praedatio, from praedari

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing predation

• predation pressure

Rhymes for predation

• ablation
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation
• collation

Kids Definition

predation

noun

pre·​da·​tion pri-ˈdā-shən 

: a way of life in which food is obtained mostly by killing and eating animals