# parasitism

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpæɹəs(a)ɪˌtɪzm̩/ · frequency rank #69,317

## Definitions
1. Interaction between two organisms, in which one organism (the parasite) benefits and the other (the host) is harmed.
2. A similar interaction between people or things.

## Etymology
From parasite + -ism. Cognate with French parasitisme and Portuguese and Spanish parasitismo.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/parasitism