Meanings
- uncountableethologyParental behaviour towards infants and young from non-parents.
The behaviors associated with alloparenting are phenotypically similar to maternal and paternal care.
1997, C. Sue Carter, R. Lucille Roberts, “9: The Psychobiological Basis of Cooperative Breeding in Rodents”, in Nancy G. Solomon, Jeffrey A. French, editors, Cooperative Breeding in Mammals, Cambridge University Press, published 2007, page 2562 more examples
Some alloparenting relationships among animals resemble adoption, although more resemble foster care or wet-nursing.
1992, Richard A. Posner, Sex and Reason, Paperback edition, Harvard University Press, published 1994, page 407Characteristics of species in which alloparenting occurs include organization into small, close-knit, and cooperative groups and infants being born relatively helpless and dependent on care from adults.
2016, Abigail A. Marsh, “9: Extraordinary Altruism: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective”, in Joshua David Greene, India Morrison, Martin E. P. Seligman, editors, Positive Neuroscience, Oxford University Press, page 150
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élyos
- Proto-Hellenic*ál͏̌l͏̌os
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓́λλος (ắllos)
- Englishallo-
- Englishparenting
- Englishalloparenting
Cite this entry
alloparenting. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alloparenting
“alloparenting.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alloparenting. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alloparenting,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alloparenting.
Source: alloparenting on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.