predation

American  

[pri-day-shuhn] / prɪˈdeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. depredation; plundering.

2. act of plundering or robbing.

3. predatory behavior.

4. a relation between animals in which one organism captures and feeds on others.

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predation British  

/ prɪˈdeɪʃən /

noun

1. a relationship between two species of animal in a community, in which one (the predator) hunts, kills, and eats the other (the prey)

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Etymology

Origin of predation

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin praedātiōn-, stem of praedātiō “a plundering,” from praedāt(us) “plundered” (past participle of praedārī “to plunder, pillage”; see predator) + -iō -ion ( def. )

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Explanation

Predation is the act of preying on someone or something, especially when you're talking about animals. Nature shows can be hard to watch when they show the predation of an animal on a smaller, cuter animal. A predator is an animal that attacks a smaller, weaker animal, called the prey. So predation is the act of being a predator, catching and attacking. The noun predation is most commonly used to talk about groups like pirates or marauders who prey on innocent people. In fact, the Latin root word praedationem means a plundering or taking of booty. In fact, predation described people before it was applied to animals.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

predation

After chipping their way through their shells, sea turtle hatchlings in the wild typically remain clustered together beneath the sand until nighttime, when temperatures and predation risk drop.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

These are given predation umbrellas to protect them from the hungry fish having a nibble.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Ecological pressures, including competition, predation, and access to different ecological niches, probably helped determine how small these dinosaurs could become.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

"The major problem is predation," Perkins said, adding that curlews were "very vulnerable to disturbance" as birds preferring wide open spaces.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

There is nothing resembling predation, and no pretense of an adversary stance on either side.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

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