carnivore

noun

Definition of carnivorenext
as in omnivore
an animal that eats meat; a meat eater
—sometimes used humorously to refer to people who eat meat Many of my friends are vegetarians, but I'm a carnivore.

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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 carnivore Chef Angie Mar made the Beatrice Inn a meat Mecca for downtown NYC carnivores. — Tony Sachs, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 The rare baby boy was born Sunday after seven hours of labor and is doing well, said Matthey Lenyo, the zoo’s curator of primates and carnivores. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 30 May 2026 Birds also have a beak and no teeth, and that doesn’t stop an eagle from being a carnivore. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 26 May 2026 Nagatitan would have lived with smaller plant-eating dinosaurs, including iguanodontians, some cousins of the Triceratops called ceratopsians, as well as large carnivores, and flying pterosaurs. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for carnivore
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carnivore
  1. omnivore
  2. animal
  3. insectivore
  4. creature
  5. critter
  6. beastie
Noun
  • The speckled omnivores can weigh upwards of 10 pounds, largely thanks to a diet that regularly includes eggs, small animals, fruits, and vegetables.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 June 2026
  • North American river otters are omnivores, feeding on fish, turtles, crabs, mollusks, birds, oysters, shellfish, crayfish, frogs, rodents and insects.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Definition of omnivore
Noun
  • Students in Poway High’s agricultural program have the opportunity to raise a variety of small and large animals and participate in competitions at the San Diego County Fair and Ramona Junior Fair each summer.
    — Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Herding is a livelihood designed for high temperatures – the animals can be moved to where there’s food and water as needed.
    — Anne Pisor, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of animal
Noun
  • Belonging to the same group of mammals as sloths and anteaters, armadillos are voracious insectivores that eat large numbers of beetles, grubs, ants, termites, and other insects, grabbing them with their sticky tongues.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
  • Many of the bird species migrating through the Midwest are insectivores, living in the neotropics in winter to have food for survival.
    — Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Definition of insectivore
Noun
  • Her daughter, who is an animal lover, has learned about marine creatures by scuba diving and going on submarine rides on their trips.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The apocalypse isn’t frightening because of zombies or some fantastical creature.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of creature
Noun
  • Land targeted for conservation makes up a quilt of South Florida wilderness, from coastal wetland to tropical hammocks, inhabited by rare plants, butterflies, bats, snakes and other critters.
    — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • There aren’t many of those critters in the Golden State and, when they’re found, officials seek to eradicate them.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of critter
Noun
  • Greg and Denise are having some marital issues, but everybody needs to put other concerns aside to stay alive with nasty raptors and other hungry beasties around.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • And when that happens, astronomers will set about studying these new beasties with other eyes on the sky to learn more about them and hopefully understand them.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of beastie

Browse Nearby Words

carnivals
carnivore
carnivores
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Cite this Entry

“Carnivore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnivore. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on carnivore

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about carnivore

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