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Glite Dictionary
nonparasitic

nonparasitic

7.5
Not living on or inside another living thing to get food
  • adjective
  • /nɒnˈpærəˌsɪtɪk/
translation icon : 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
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
10 5.7

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

How Parasitic

parasitoid
  • Specialized
9.8
parasitic
  • Offensive
11 6.6
nonparasitic
7.5
free-living
  • Specialized
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.