facultative

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Fascinatingly, we found that the obligately agamospermous Balanophora species were all island species -- and we speculate that more Balanophora species may be facultative, or even obligate, agamosperms."

From Science Daily • Dec. 20, 2025

For the first time, scientists have induced facultative parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction, in an animal that usually reproduces sexually.

From Salon • Jul. 28, 2023

Some species, termed facultative parthenogens, alternate between sexual and asexual reproduction.

From Scientific American • Jun. 9, 2023

Note that there is no clear line that differentiates facultative carnivores from omnivores; dogs would be considered facultative carnivores.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The great majority of the bacteria in the cream belong to the facultative class, and are able to grow under conditions where they are not in direct contact with the air.

From Outlines of Dairy Bacteriology, 8th edition A Concise Manual for the Use of Students in Dairying by Russell, H. L. (Harry Luman)