prokaryotic
adjective
pro·kary·ot·ic
(ˌ)prō-ˌker-ē-ˈä-tik 
-ˌka-rē-ˈä-tik
: of, relating to, or being a typically unicellular organism (as of the domains Bacteria and Archaea) lacking a distinct nucleus and membrane-bound organelles : being or characteristic of a prokaryote
prokaryotic genes
prokaryotic microorganisms
Examples of prokaryotic in a Sentence
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Microbes that can form such a mass — and many can, as biofilms are one of the planet’s most common life forms, encompassing 40% to 80% of all prokaryotic life — gained the ability to anchor themselves to stationary surfaces, such as the grooves of our teeth or the bumpy exterior of a boulder.
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Carrie Arnold, Quanta Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
According to this theory, a prokaryotic cell called an archaeon (and specifically called an Asgard archaeon) consumed another prokaryotic cell, a bacterium, a couple billion years ago, creating a sort of composite of the two.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2022
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Carrie Arnold, Quanta Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
According to this theory, a prokaryotic cell called an archaeon (and specifically called an Asgard archaeon) consumed another prokaryotic cell, a bacterium, a couple billion years ago, creating a sort of composite of the two.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Prokaryotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prokaryotic. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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