altricial

adjective

Definition of altricialnext
as in self-sufficient

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of altricial Birth simulations even reveal that even Australopithecus, with a relatively small brain by modern standards, already faced sufficient obstetrical constraint to require the delivery of secondarily altricial infants. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 3 May 2026 Plenty of other creatures give birth even sooner, yielding offspring in a more altricial state. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2022 Robins, bluebirds, hummingbirds and many other birds are altricial. — Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022 If birds are born altricial — helpless — clutches tend to be small to accommodate the higher level of care the babies must receive. — Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 29 June 2021 That’s because both marmosets and humans have altricial babies, from the Latin for needing nourishment—meaning offspring that can’t take care of themselves even a tiny bit at the beginning. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 27 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for altricial
  1. self-sufficient
  2. autonomous
  3. independent
  4. self-sustaining
  5. semiautonomous
  6. unsociable
Adjective
  • This year, its highly self-sufficient Crossover series draws closer than ever before to the Venture S, mirroring it outside and in.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
  • How to Maintain a Micropond Microponds are fairly self-sufficient, especially with water-cleaning plants.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of self-sufficient
Adjective
  • The partnership combines Saildrone’s experience operating autonomous vessels in remote maritime environments with Lockheed Martin’s expertise in weapons, sensors, combat systems and mission integration.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
  • As men, women and children flooded across the border between Morocco and Spain, into the autonomous city of Ceuta at the end of July, European populists and anti-immigrant politicians capitalized on the shocking images of human desperation.
    — Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of autonomous
Adjective
  • Authorities have opened roughly 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and popular bloggers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • One of the loudest voices in the cattle world agitating against the border reopening is Bill Bullard, the CEO of R-CALF, a national association of independent cattle and sheep farmers.
    — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of independent
Adjective
  • Your best chance of spotting a whooping crane is along the Texas coast, where the world’s only self-sustaining wild population returns each winter after migrating from Canada.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 June 2026
  • Feral populations spring up as result of these self-sustaining domestic animals fending for themselves.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Definition of self-sustaining
Adjective
  • The elections produced semiautonomous administrations in Scotland and Wales led by parties devoted to independence and the breakup of the United Kingdom - though neither has that policy on the front burner.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 May 2026
  • UAVs may be remotely piloted, semiautonomous, or, increasingly, fully autonomous.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Definition of semiautonomous
Adjective
  • Hospitality fared well in Deputy’s study, making up half of the 10 happiest job sectors, despite the sector’s reputation for high stress, unsociable hours, and low pay.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2025
  • To drink too much would be inexcusable; to drink too little would be unsociable.
    — Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Feb. 2024
Definition of unsociable

Browse Nearby Words

altogether
altricial
altruism
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Cite this Entry

“Altricial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altricial. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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