PoliticsAugust 8, 2026
parasitic
PAIR-uh-SIT-ik
Definition
Living on or in an organism of another species from which it derives nutrients, or metaphorically, someone who habitually relies on or exploits others.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'parasitos,' meaning 'one who eats at the table of another.' It entered English via Latin to describe organisms that sustain themselves at the expense of a host.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe agricultural or political messaging that leeches off public anxiety regarding food safety. It highlights how fear-based rhetoric acts as a parasite on legitimate nutritional discourse.
Fear of lettuce is making RFK Jr.'s food messaging harder for consumers to swallow
Read the full article ↗politico.com