predator

American  

[pred-uh-ter, -tawr] / ˈprɛd ə tər, -ˌtɔr /

noun

1. Zoology. any organism that exists by preying upon other organisms.

   Cats are carnivorous predators.

2. a person or group that plunders, pillages, or robs, as in war.

   The Vikings were barbarian predators.

3. a person, group, or business that exploits, victimizes, or preys on others: corporate predators who go after smaller rivals.

   a sexual predator who targets children;

   corporate predators who go after smaller rivals.

4. an overbearing, greedy or selfish person.

---

predator British  

/ ˈprɛdətə /

noun

1. any carnivorous animal

2. a predatory person or thing

---

predator Scientific  

/ prĕd′ə-tər /

1. An animal that lives by capturing and eating other animals.

---

Other Word Forms

• antipredator
  noun

Etymology

Origin of predator

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin praedātor “plunderer, pillager,” equivalent to praedā(rī) “to plunder, pillage” (derivative of praeda “booty, plunder”) + -tor, agent noun suffix; see origin at prey, -tor

Explanation

A predator is an animal that eats other animals — or people or companies who act like they do. Lions are predators, but so are pickpockets and some giant corporations. The word predator started out referring to insects that ate other insects, but has grown to include any animal that eats another animal. We humans like to think of ourselves as the top of the food chain, but scary movies love to disagree, like in the 1987 movie Predator, where creepy aliens try to kill and eat us. Predators don't have to kill and eat you, though; they can also just take your stuff. It's from the Latin word praedator, which means "plunderer," which is more like something a pirate would do.

Example Sentences

More than a dozen similar fossils stored in museums were eventually linked to the newly identified predator.

From Science Daily • May 23, 2026

The dinosaur lived in Madagascar around 70 million years ago and was still considered an apex predator.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2026

Boeing makes more jets than Americans buy, but that doesn’t mean it is acting as a trade predator.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

A person, confused and distressed by unwanted images they cannot control, can be left feeling like a predator, extremely isolated and overcome with shame.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Glish doesn’t move a centimeter—a prey sensing she’s caught by her predator.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera