# parasitic

/ˌpɛɹəˈsɪtɪk/ (US) · /pˌæɹəsˈɪtɪk/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/parasitic
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

living on or inside another living thing and taking food from it. It also describes people or things that take advantage of others without giving anything back.

For teachers: relating to or characteristic of an organism that lives in or on another organism and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense. Often used figuratively to describe social or economic relationships where one party exploits another.

## Examples

- The parasitic plant grows on the branches of large trees.
- Biologists studied the parasitic relationship between the wasps and the local caterpillar population.

## Usage notes

- Typically used attributively before a noun; in technical contexts, it describes unwanted energy loss in electronic circuits.

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