commensal
Americanadjective
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eating together at the same table.
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Ecology. (of an animal, plant, fungus, etc.) living with, on, or in another, without injury to either.
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Sociology. (of a person or group) not competing while residing in or occupying the same area as another individual or group having independent or different values or customs.
noun
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a companion at table.
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Ecology. a commensal organism.
adjective
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(of two different species of plant or animal) living in close association, such that one species benefits without harming the other
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rare of or relating to eating together, esp at the same table
commensal pleasures
noun
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a commensal plant or animal
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rare a companion at table
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of commensal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word commēnsālis. See com-, mensal 2
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.
"This fundamentally changes our view of commensal bacteria," says Prof. Pascal Falter-Braun, Director of the Institute for Network Biology at Helmholtz Munich and corresponding author of the study.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 27, 2026
The early human-leopard cat relationship was essentially "commensal" where two species live alongside each other harmlessly, said Prof Shu-Jin Luo of Peking University in Beijing.
From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2025
Microbes in the gut live in a delicate balance, and commensal bacteria provide important benefits to the body by breaking down nutrients, producing metabolites, and -- importantly -- protecting against pathogens.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 2, 2024
"The number of commensal bacteria in very low compared to the gut so it is possible that they don't do much," Persat said.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2023
Either there was soil deeper down, or this species of tree was a remarkable instance of a commensal or a parasite.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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