parasitically

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adverb

In a parasitic manner.

OriginProto-Germanic *līką ← Proto-Indo-European *leyg- ← English parasitic →
Scrabble 20
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Meanings

adverbparasitically (comparative more parasitically, superlative most parasitically)

comparative more parasitically · superlative most parasitically

  1. In a parasitic manner.

    Similarly, plants and mycorrhizal fungi are no longer thought of as behaving either mutualistically or parasitically.

    2020, Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pərai
  4. Ancient Greekπᾰρᾰ́ (părắ)
  5. Ancient Greekσῖτος (sîtos)
  6. Ancient Greekπαράσιτος (parásitos)
  7. Latinparasītus
  8. Middle Frenchparasite
  9. Englishparasite
  10. Englishparasitic
  11. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  13. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
  14. Proto-Germanic*līką
  15. Englishparasitically

From parasitic + -ally.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

parasitically. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parasitically

MLA

“parasitically.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parasitically. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “parasitically,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parasitically.

Source: parasitically on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.