symbiotic

adjective

sym·​bi·​ot·​ic ˌsim-bē-ˈä-tik 

: relating to or marked by symbiosis:

a

: characterized by, living in, or being a close physical association (as in mutualism or commensalism) between two or more dissimilar organisms

The truffle is a … fungus that forms a symbiotic relationship with its host tree.

—Robb Walsh

Termites harbor diverse symbiotic gut microorganisms, the majority of which are as yet uncultivable and their interrelationships unclear.

—Yuichi Hongoh et al.

b

: characterized by or being a close, cooperative, or interdependent relationship

Today, art advisers are as diverse as the clients they help. They often work alone and form intimate, symbiotic relationships with the people they serve.

—Deborah Gimelson

Sigal's study … illustrates how reporters' constant need for news and how government officials' need for publicity and favorable coverage for their agencies combine into a symbiotic relationship between Washington reporters and officials.

—Charles R. Wright

symbiotically

ˌsim-bē-ˈä-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Some species of clams … live symbiotically with sulfur-loving bacteria: the bacteria, which live on the clams' gills, get sulfide from the clams, and the clams, in turn, feed on the bacteria.

—Natural History

The irony is that the Pentagon and the Soviet Defense Ministry prosper symbiotically.

—Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Examples of symbiotic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Their salivary glands are full of symbiotic bacteria, which pump out a deadly poison called tetrodotoxin, or TTX for short. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Mar. 2025

Create a symbiotic relationship between volunteer experiences and ongoing giving opportunities. —Srinagesh Vitthanala, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

The venom used in this gambit is not produced by the octopus itself, but is derived from symbiotic bacteria that live within its body. —William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025

Such a symbiotic bond exists in France between local cinema and U.S. blockbusters, thanks to a scheme that allows the National Film Board to levy each admission in theater and funds subsidies for the French film industry. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

symbi(osis) + -otic entry 1, probably after German symbiotisch

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for symbiotic

• abiotic
• aeronautic
• apoptotic
• asymptotic
• cyanotic
• eukaryotic
• idiotic
• meiotic
• patriotic
• prebiotic
• probiotic
• prokaryotic

Medical Definition

symbiotic

adjective

sym·​bi·​ot·​ic ˌsim-ˌbī-ˈät-ik  -bē- 

variants also symbiotical

-i-kəl 

: relating to, characterized by, living in, or resulting from a state of symbiosis

symbiotically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb