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eusocial

American  
[yoo-soh-shuhl] / juˈsoʊ ʃəl /

adjective

Animal Behavior.
  1. of or relating to a form of insect society, as that of ants, characterized by specialization of tasks and cooperative care of the young.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of eusocial

First recorded in 1970–75; eu- + social

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.

See Examples For:

The sociable, or eusocial, nature of naked mole rat communities means they're basically all siblings or cousins.

From Salon May 11, 2025

Like bees, they are eusocial: they have a bewildering array of different forms and a single monarch, the Grand Lunar.

From Nature Jul. 8, 2019

Honeybees are eusocial creatures, making them one of the most studied insects on the planet.

From The Guardian Oct. 16, 2018

They are eusocial creatures—eusociality being the highest level of animal sociality recognized by sociobiologists, characterized by a division of reproductive labor between fertile and non-fertile castes, and by the collective care of the young.

From The New Yorker Sep. 10, 2018

Are there behaviors or traits that make it easier to become eusocial?

From Scientific American Dec. 1, 2015

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