anthropomorphism

American  

[an-thruh-puh-mawr-fiz-uhm] / ˌæn θrə pəˈmɔr fɪz əm /

noun

1. an anthropomorphic conception or representation, as of a deity.

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anthropomorphism British  

/ ˌænθrəpəˈmɔːfɪzəm /

noun

1. the attribution of human form or behaviour to a deity, animal, etc

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anthropomorphism Cultural  

1. The attributing of human characteristics and purposes to inanimate objects, animals, plants, or other natural phenomena, or to God. To describe a rushing river as “angry” is to anthropomorphize it.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anthropomorphist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of anthropomorphism

First recorded in 1745–55; anthropo- + -morphism

Explanation

The idea behind anthropomorphism is that of attributing human characteristics to nonhumans — gods, animals, or inanimate objects. If you believe that your cat wants to celebrate his birthday, you are participating in anthropomorphism. The Greek words for "human" and "form" created the word anthropomorphism, originally used to give human qualities to a deity. The Greeks and Romans used the idea in stories about their gods, giving them human traits to balance their powers (and make better stories). Even today, many people picture the god they worship as a human form. Whether it's an old man with a beard, mother earth, or a bearded lady, that's anthropomorphism.

Example Sentences

While anthropomorphism is common in everyday speech, it appears far less often in news writing.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

But by the 1980s, much chimp behavior was being interpreted in ways that would have been labeled anthropomorphism — ascribing human traits to non-human entities — decades earlier.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 1, 2025

My notion of anthropomorphism kept changing as I spent time with him.

From Salon • Oct. 22, 2022

The otters are a good example of us doing classic anthropomorphism.

From Slate • Jun. 21, 2022

All are instances of that animal equivalent of anthropomorphism: zoomorphism, where an animal takes a human being, or another animal, to be one of its kind.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel