ru·der·al
ˈrü-də-rəl 
: growing where the natural vegetational cover has been disturbed by humans
ruderal weeds of old fields and roadsides
: a weedy and commonly introduced plant growing where the vegetational cover has been interrupted
Examples of ruderal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
James Dinneen, Discover Magazine, 14 Apr. 2021
Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 22 May 2025
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Adjective
Zerg units, for instance, are fast colonizers but weak fighters, similar to ruderal species of plants — small and weedy, but the first to grow after an ecosystem is disturbed.
—James Dinneen, Discover Magazine, 14 Apr. 2021
Noun
In the wild, ruderals germinate from the seed bank when conditions favor them and their colonization of a habitat that suddenly has less competition.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruderal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruderal. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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