symbiosis.

1. A close, sustained association between organisms of different species.

2. A close relationship in which parties depend on or benefit from one another.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• microbial symbiosis
• symbiotic relationship

On the page

The lichen depended on a symbiosis of fungus and photosynthetic partner.

The researcher used symbiosis broadly enough to include parasitic associations.

Usage notes

Primary category: sci-fi. Forms: Usually uncountable; plural symbioses. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.