predatory
adjective
pred·a·to·ry
ˈpre-də-ˌtȯr-ē 
1
a
: of, relating to, or practicing plunder, pillage, or rapine
b
: inclined or intended to injure or exploit others for personal gain or profit
predatory pricing practices
2
: living by predation : predaceous
also
: adapted to predation
Examples of predatory in a Sentence
Hawks are predatory and may pose a danger to rabbits and other small pets.
The company made millions for investors but clearly engaged in predatory lending practices.
Recent Examples on the Web
While hammerhead worms are not a direct threat to humans or household pets, their predatory nature can have a lasting effect on a local ecosystem.
—
Greta Cross, USA Today, 14 June 2025
But last year, the New York State Court of Appeals overturned that conviction, saying the trial judge should have never allowed other women whose allegations were not included in the charges to testify against him and establish a pattern of predatory behavior.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025
The mineral-rich landlocked country, sandwiched between autocratic giants China and Russia, has been a hotbed of predatory behavior by business elites, while more than a quarter of the country’s 3.5 million population is mired in poverty.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 3 June 2025
Drawing on data from Houston in 1969, the sociologist Donald Black concluded that barely more than a tenth of homicides occurred during predatory crimes like burglary or robbery.
—Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for predatory
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Greta Cross, USA Today, 14 June 2025
But last year, the New York State Court of Appeals overturned that conviction, saying the trial judge should have never allowed other women whose allegations were not included in the charges to testify against him and establish a pattern of predatory behavior.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025
The mineral-rich landlocked country, sandwiched between autocratic giants China and Russia, has been a hotbed of predatory behavior by business elites, while more than a quarter of the country’s 3.5 million population is mired in poverty.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 3 June 2025
Drawing on data from Houston in 1969, the sociologist Donald Black concluded that barely more than a tenth of homicides occurred during predatory crimes like burglary or robbery.
—Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for predatory
Cite this Entry
“Predatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predatory. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
predatory
adjective
pred·a·to·ry
ˈpred-ə-ˌtōr-ē
-ˌtȯr-
1
: of, relating to, or marked by robbing or using others for personal gain
predatory raids
2
: living by predation
predatory animals
Legal Definition
predatory
adjective
pred·a·to·ry
ˈpre-də-ˌtōr-ē
1
: inclined or intended to injure competitors by unfair means
subject to antitrust liability for predatory conduct—National Law Journal
National Law Journalpredatory bidding
2
: inclined or intended to injure or exploit others for personal gain or profit
predatory loans
3
: of or relating to a sexual predator
predatory assault
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