eukaryote

noun

eu·​kary·​ote (ˌ)yü-ˈker-ē-ˌōt  -ət  -ˈka-rē- 

variants or less commonly eucaryote

: any of a domain (Eukarya) or a higher taxonomic group (Eukaryota) above the kingdom that includes organisms composed of one or more cells containing visibly evident nuclei and organelles compare archaea, bacterium, prokaryote

Examples of eukaryote in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Plus, there were no archaeal genomes that were especially close to those of eukaryotes. — ArsTechnica, 11 June 2026

Diverse eukaryotic lineages, from unicellular eukaryotes to plants and animals, have repeatedly borrowed, adapted, and lost defenses from this arsenal over evolutionary time. — Viviane Callier, Quanta Magazine, 15 Apr. 2026

Primary endosymbiosis gave rise to mitochondria and chloroplasts and involved primitive unicellular prokaryotes (or proto-eukaryotes) and archaea. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026

But conventional wisdom since the early 1970s had been that eukaryotes—organisms with a cell nucleus, from amoebas to animals—would not be able to cope with high temperatures as readily given their more complex biology. — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Eukaryotes, proposed subdivision of protists, from eu- + kary- + -otes, plural noun suffix, from Greek -ōtos — more at -otic

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for eukaryote

• anecdote
• antidote
• asymptote
• creosote
• dimethoate
• epidote
• ferryboat
• motorboat
• overcoat
• petticoat
• riverboat
• undercoat

Kids Definition

eukaryote

noun

eu·​kary·​ote (ˌ)yu̇-ˈke(ə)r-ē-ˌōt 

ˈka(ə)r-

: an organism composed of one or more cells with clearly viewable nuclei

Medical Definition

eukaryote

noun

eu·​kary·​ote

variants also eucaryote

(ˈ)yü-ˈkar-ē-ˌōt  -ē-ət 

: any of a domain (Eukarya) or a higher taxonomic group (Eukaryota) above the kingdom that includes organisms composed of one or more cells containing visibly evident nuclei and organelles compare prokaryote

eukaryotic adjective

also eucaryotic

-ˌkar-ē-ˈät-ik