predation

noun

pre·da·tion | \ pri-ˈdā-shən

Definition of predation

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

As pens have reduced leopard predation by as much as 95 percent in some areas, says Namgail, a space has opened for snow leopard ecotourism. — Adam Popescu, Washington Post, "Tracking one of the world’s most elusive cats," 19 May 2018 Without significant support, these new democracies are exposed to predations by populist and authoritarian leaders. — Christopher Claassen, Washington Post, "Support for democracy is declining — but not in the U.S. or other Western democracies," 5 July 2018 And wolves sometimes do cause losses to ranchers: A 2015 look at wolf predation in three Rocky Mountain states said that wolves killed 967 animals — cattle, sheep, goats, llamas and horses — between 1989 and 2008. — New York Times, "Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf Scientist?," 5 July 2018 Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the largest reef system in the world (1,400 miles long and over 2,900 individual reefs), has lost half of its coral cover to bleaching and predation since the 1980s. — National Geographic, "These 38 Coral Reefs Are Thriving, Despite Threats," 18 June 2018 That concentration helps protect the individual nests from predation. — Shannon Tompkins Staff Writer, San Antonio Express-News, "June spawn signals peak in Texas sunfish action," 7 June 2018 Your condition resembles a state of nature, except without the threat of privation or predation: There are perfectly safe sandwiches, apples in reasonable shape and, frequently, a store featuring a wide range of Tom Ford fragrances. — Sasha Chapin, New York Times, "Letter of Recommendation: Airport Layovers," 29 May 2018 Peter Aarrestad, head of DEEP’s inland fisheries division, said of the problem of dealing with bird predation at the hatcheries. — Gregory B. Hladky, courant.com, "Hatcheries Try Guns, Nets, Noise To Protect Fish From Invading Birds," 21 May 2018 Ciudad Cuauhtémoc was remote from most of Mexico’s citizens, but people there felt the same frustrations with corruption and economic predation. — Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, "A New Revolution in Mexico," 25 June 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'predation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.