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

There were 267 investigations opened by California wildlife officials into wolf-livestock predation in 2025, up from 74 the previous year. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Published in 2023, this paper analyzed the 533 studies on cat diet or predation events published over more than a century and found that cats ate nearly 2,100 different species of animals, including invertebrates. — Christopher A. Lepczyk, The Conversation, 8 July 2026

Or that their conspicuousness puts them at a higher risk of predation? — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2026

The predations in the Sierra Valley ranchlands north of Truckee led state wildlife officials to euthanize four wolves, essentially removing the entire Beyem Seyo pack. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026

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
• aeration
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation

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