altricial: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
lowscientific/technical/academic
Quick answer
What does “altricial” mean?
Of a newborn animal: born helpless and requiring significant parental care.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Of a newborn animal: born helpless and requiring significant parental care.
Pertaining to a developmental state where offspring are immature, blind, and dependent on parental nourishment and protection for survival after birth or hatching.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. The term is equally scientific and rare in both dialects.
Connotations
Purely technical, biological terminology with no dialect-specific connotations.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general discourse. Usage is confined almost exclusively to academic texts in biology, ecology, and zoology in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “altricial” in a Sentence
be + altricialnoun + be + altricialverb + altricial + nounVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “altricial” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- Robins are classic examples of altricial birds, with chicks hatching blind and featherless.
- The researcher noted the altricial nature of the newly discovered rodent species.
American English
- Unlike ducks, songbirds are altricial and require extensive care in the nest.
- The zoology textbook contrasted altricial and precocial developmental strategies.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Essentially never used.
Academic
Used in biology, zoology, and ecology papers to describe developmental strategies.
Everyday
Virtually unknown outside of scientific discussion.
Technical
The primary domain of use, distinguishing reproductive strategies in animal species.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “altricial”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “altricial”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “altricial”
- Misspelling as 'altricious' or 'altritial'.
- Using it to describe human emotional dependency beyond infancy.
- Confusing it with 'altruistic'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The opposite is 'precocial.' Precocial young, like ducklings or foals, are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching.
Yes, human infants are a prime example of altricial offspring. They are born highly underdeveloped compared to other primates and require an exceptionally long period of parental care and nurturing.
Rarely. While 'altricial' is primarily an adjective, in specialized biological writing you might encounter the plural noun 'altricials' to refer collectively to altricial species or their young.
No. 'Altricial' is a low-frequency, specialized scientific term. The average native English speaker is very unlikely to know or use this word in everyday conversation.
Of a newborn animal: born helpless and requiring significant parental care.
Altricial is usually scientific/technical/academic in register.
Altricial: in British English it is pronounced /ælˈtrɪʃəl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ælˈtrɪʃəl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
ALTRIcial = ALL TRIbes need to care for their helpless infants (for human tribes). Think: 'Altricial' - 'Altruistic' care is required for them.
Conceptual Metaphor
Metaphor of 'unfinished product' requiring extensive assembly/support before becoming functional.
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'altricial' primarily used?