nonparasitic

1 7.5

Not living on or inside another living thing to get food

adjective
/nɒnˈpærəˌsɪtɪk/

: no parasitario

The disease is caused by a nonparasitic fungus rather than a harmful worm.

Examples

Some skin conditions result from nonparasitic infections and do not involve any parasites.
The nonparasitic plants thrive without harming their hosts.
Many plants form nonparasitic relationships with the organisms around them.
Many nonparasitic species contribute positively to their ecosystems.
The nonparasitic organisms in the ecosystem support each other without harming one another.
In some cases, plants can have nonparasitic relationships with fungi that help them absorb nutrients.
The research showed that nonparasitic bees gather pollen without living off the plants.

Synonyms

free-living

vsnonparasitic

Specialized

1 6.4

A living thing that lives on its own and not on another animal or plant

emphasizes merely not living as a parasite rather than active independence

nonsymbiotic

vsnonparasitic

Specialized

8.6

Living alone without depending on another living thing

focuses on absence of parasitism rather than on avoiding symbiosis

Antonyms

parasitic

Specialized

14 5.7

Of a living thing that lives on or in another and takes food

How Parasitic

parasitoid

Specialized

1 9.8

parasitic

Offensive

11 6.6

nonparasitic

1 7.5

free-living

Specialized

1 6.4

Surface Forms

nonparasitic positive

Morphology

nonparasitic = parasitic (transparent) = non + parasite + ic

Formed by adding the negative prefix 'non-' to the adjective 'parasitic', so the negated meaning is directly derivable.

Etymology

Nonparasitic has the part non- meaning 'not' and the word parasite, which once described someone who 'eats at another's table', so a nonparasitic organism does not live on or feed from another organism like a parasite.