predator

American  

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

noun

predators plural

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.

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predator British  

/ ˈprɛdətə /

noun

1. any carnivorous animal

2. a predatory person or thing

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predator Scientific  

/ prĕd′ə-tər /

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antipredator
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• predators
  plural

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

The extent of the businessman's predatory behaviour was revealed in a BBC documentary and podcast, Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods, which was broadcast in September 2024.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Her acting breakthrough came on the TV show The Newsroom, before starring roles in movies such as X-Men: Apocalypse and The Predator.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Only two proven victims of Predator were questioned by the Supreme Court, and the prosecutor did not request access to the bank accounts of the company that marketed the software.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

In the days leading up to the raid, a Predator surveillance drone flew at 20,000 feet over the southwestern states of Colima, Nayarit and Jalisco, gathering intelligence on cartel operatives and zeroing in on Oseguera.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

The first three had overhead images being relayed in real time from different sectors of Iraq by Predator drones.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman