commensal
/kəˈmɛnsəl/adjective, noun
commensal is spelled C-O-M-M-E-N-S-A-L: 9 letters. It appears about once in every 10 million words in written English, the 92,628th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, commensal means “Of a form of symbiosis in which one organism derives a benefit while the other is unaffected” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in commensal?
| Letters | 9: C-O-M-M-E-N-S-A-L |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 10 million words; the 92,628th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is commensal?
Commensal appears about once in every 10 million words in written English, the 92,628th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce commensal?
- /kəˈmɛnsəl/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forms of commensal
- commensals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does commensal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of a form of symbiosis in which one organism derives a benefit while the other is unaffected.
- 2
Eating at the same table.
noun
- 1
An organism partaking in a commensal relationship.
- 2
One who eats at the same table.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Commensal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | comensal |
| French | convive, commensale |
| German | Tischgenosse, Tischgenossin |
| Portuguese | comensal |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does commensal come from?
From Middle English commensal, from Old French commensal, from Medieval Latin commensālis, from com- + mensa (“table”) + -ālis.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).