Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An association between two organisms of different species in which one is harmed or inhibited while the other is unaffected.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A form of symbiosis in which one species is harmed or impeded and the other is unaffected.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably a– + (com)mensalism.]

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Examples

  • Among them are commensalism, in which one species benefits and the other is unaffected; mutualism, in which both parties benefit; amensalism, in which at least one species is harmful to the other; and parasitism, in which, between two species living together, at least one benefits at the expense of the other.

    Bad Dog Condé Nast 2021

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