Meaning & use

symbiosis

noun·Advanced

A close, long-term relationship between two different organisms, typically benefiting at least one of them.

See it in a sentence

The clownfish and the anemone live in a symbiosis that protects both from predators.

Biologists study symbiosis to understand how different species evolve together.

A note on using this word

Outside biology, "symbiosis" is often used loosely for any mutually beneficial partnership.

Words with a similar meaning

interdependencemutualism

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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