parasitical
parasitical Lexical Profile
parasitical Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Habitually relying on or exploiting the hospitality, wealth, or labor of others without giving anything in return.
"The novel portrays the aristocracy as a parasitical class living off the hard work of the peasantry."
Of, relating to, or characteristic of a biological parasite that lives in or on a host organism and draws nutrients at the host's expense.
"Early naturalists documented several parasitical plants that attach themselves to the roots of forest trees."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'parasitic' is the standard term in biology and medicine, 'parasitical' is more frequently chosen in figurative or sociological contexts to criticize exploitative people or institutions.
• Rhymes for parasitical
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'parasitos' (literally 'one who eats at the table of another'), combining 'para-' (beside) and 'sitos' (grain or food), plus the English adjectival suffix '-ical'.