1
: of or relating to nutrition : nutritional
trophic disorders
2
3
: promoting cellular growth, differentiation, and survival
1
a
: of, relating to, or characterized by (such) nutrition
ectotrophic
b
: requiring or utilizing (such) a kind of nutrition
heterotrophic
2
: -tropic sense 2
gonadotrophic
Examples of trophic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
The insect, along with ants, is also an integral piece of trophic dynamics.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2024
Threats are greatest for higher trophic species, especially those that are harvested for food, including pufferfish, tunas and sharks, and in low-income countries with a high dependence on fisheries, suggesting a widespread ecosystem restructuring for those species, Boyce said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2022
The locus coeruleus neurons make substances called trophic factors, which promote the building of neural circuits.
—Kelyn Soong, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for trophic 
Adjective
Direct evidence of trophic interactions among apex predators in the Late Triassic of western North America
Sean Mowbray is a freelance writer based in Scotland.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
The insect, along with ants, is also an integral piece of trophic dynamics.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2024
Threats are greatest for higher trophic species, especially those that are harvested for food, including pufferfish, tunas and sharks, and in low-income countries with a high dependence on fisheries, suggesting a widespread ecosystem restructuring for those species, Boyce said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2022
The locus coeruleus neurons make substances called trophic factors, which promote the building of neural circuits.
—Kelyn Soong, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for trophic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trophic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near trophic
Cite this Entry
“Trophic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trophic. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
trophic
adjective
tro·phic
ˈtrō-fik 
: of or relating to the process of getting and eating food : nutritional
Medical Definition
trophic
adjective
tro·phic
ˈtrō-fik
1
: of or relating to nutrition : nutritional
trophic disorders
2
: tropic
3
: promoting cellular growth, differentiation, and survival
nerve growth factor is a trophic agent
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share