struggle for existence

noun phrase

: the automatic competition of members of a natural population for limited vital resources (such as food, space, or light) that results in natural selection

Examples of struggle for existence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its existence is a proof of the success of this precise kind of universe in the struggle for existence with other, alternate universes. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

struggle for existence

: competition (as for food, space, or light) of members of a natural population that tends to eliminate weaker or less efficient individuals and thereby to increase the chance of the stronger or more efficient individuals to pass on their traits