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

"Certain temperature conditions may foster all-female populations, which can be overcome through facultative parthenogenesis," he said.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2023

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

From Scientific American • Jun. 9, 2023

Sketch a graph that predicts the distribution of aerobic, facultative anaerobic and obligatory anaerobic bacteria along the length of the entire intestine based on these parameters.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

In some cantons the referendum is obligatory, in others it is "facultative," or optional.

From The Governments of Europe by Ogg, Frederic Austin