MEANING
1. Involving a close, lasting association between organisms of different species.
2. Involving people, organizations, or activities that depend on or support one another.
Use it for
describing organisms that live in a close association; distinguishing mutual benefit from other forms of biological association; specifying the relationship between species rather than assuming its effectsSeparates close biological association from figurative mutual dependence without assuming that every biological association benefits both partners. Academic functions: Causation / Relationships, Analysis / Interpretation.
Words that belong together
- symbiotic relationship
- symbiotic association
- symbiotic interaction
On the page
The ecology review distinguishes symbiotic associations that benefit both partners from those that benefit only one.
Describing the interaction as symbiotic does not, under the broad biological definition, establish that both organisms benefit.
The historian describes a symbiotic relationship in which publishers supplied publicity while authors attracted readers.
The analysis tests whether the apparently symbiotic partnership benefits both organizations rather than assuming that cooperation implies equal power.
Word forms
- Base
- symbiotic
Usage notes
Adjective: symbiotic relationship, symbiotic association. No ordinary -er/-est forms; describe the kind or degree of dependence instead. Register: technical. Commonness: moderately common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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