as in self-sufficient
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Recent Examples of altricial
Plenty of other creatures give birth even sooner, yielding offspring in a more altricial state.
—
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2022
Robins, bluebirds, hummingbirds and many other birds are altricial.
—Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022
If birds are born altricial — helpless — clutches tend to be small to accommodate the higher level of care the babies must receive.
—Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 29 June 2021
That’s because both marmosets and humans have altricial babies, from the Latin for needing nourishment—meaning offspring that can’t take care of themselves even a tiny bit at the beginning.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 27 Oct. 2020
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2022
Robins, bluebirds, hummingbirds and many other birds are altricial.
—Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022
If birds are born altricial — helpless — clutches tend to be small to accommodate the higher level of care the babies must receive.
—Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 29 June 2021
That’s because both marmosets and humans have altricial babies, from the Latin for needing nourishment—meaning offspring that can’t take care of themselves even a tiny bit at the beginning.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 27 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for altricial
Adjective
-
The new big rig essentially picks up where those two leave off, giving restless travelers a vessel for achieving their most ambitious dream adventures – an off-road RV that's bigger, more capable and more self-sufficient than anything Winnebago offers currently, or has sold previously.—
C.C. Weiss
May 17,
New Atlas,
17 May 2026
-
This is one reason why a partner of someone with avoidant attachment may perceive their partner as emotionally unavailable, overly self-sufficient, detached or distant or resistant to commitment.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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That sky-high multiple is based on investors’ belief in Musk’s ambition to transform Tesla into an autonomous vehicle and robotics company that also makes EVs.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
It is built on the XPENG GX platform and engineered to L4 autonomous driving standards.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Jeffries first looked to California, where an independent commission had drawn a map that, in 2024, gave Democrats forty-three of the state’s fifty-two congressional seats.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
By the start of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman second season in the fall of 1976, the show had expanded to 125 independent markets, now putting it in front of a potential fifty-five million households.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Rock and roll was clearly not a phase, empty calories to consume until the time arrived for heartier fare, but rather something self-sustaining, a means to make a life.—
David L. Ulin,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
-
Colorado voters in 2020 narrowly approved the reintroduction of the native species and mandated that CPW create a self-sustaining population.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Saudi Arabia must decide whether to respond militarily, engage diplomatically, or accept a semiautonomous south.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Dec. 2025
-
Charter schools receive taxpayer dollars but are run differently Charter schools are semiautonomous public schools, according to the Education Commission of the States.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Hospitality fared well in Deputy’s study, making up half of the 10 happiest job sectors, despite the sector’s reputation for high stress, unsociable hours, and low pay.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
31 Aug. 2025
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Ask Amy: My unsociable neighbor doesn't know about me and his wife.—
Bay Area News Group,
The Mercury News,
2 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Altricial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altricial. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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