Predator Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms predator American [pred-uh-ter, -tawr] / ˈprɛd ə tər, -ˌtɔr /

noun

1. Zoology. any organism that exists by preying upon other organisms.

   Cats are carnivorous predators.

2. a person or group that plunders, pillages, or robs, as in war.

   The Vikings were barbarian predators.

3. a person, group, or business that exploits, victimizes, or preys on others: corporate predators who go after smaller rivals.

   a sexual predator who targets children;

   corporate predators who go after smaller rivals.

4. an overbearing, greedy or selfish person.

predator British / ˈprɛdətə /

noun

1. any carnivorous animal

2. a predatory person or thing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 predator Scientific / prĕd′ə-tər /

1. An animal that lives by capturing and eating other animals.

Other Word Forms

• antipredator noun

Etymology

Origin of predator

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin praedātor “plunderer, pillager,” equivalent to praedā(rī) “to plunder, pillage” (derivative of praeda “booty, plunder”) + -tor, agent noun suffix; prey, -tor

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Evans said the force hoped that the sentencing would "alert vulnerable people to predators" like Cross.

From BBC

Spear is taken in by a village, Fang by a fellow predator.

From Salon

Think of sharks and the most common images that spring to mind will likely be of dangerous predators hunting prey, accompanied by ominous music.

From BBC

We became apex predators not because of individualism but because of a sense of community.

From Salon

Miller’s death marked the first known instance in California history of a fatal bear attack on a human and has sparked increasingly heated battles around predators in the state.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.