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anthropocentric

American  
[an-thruh-poh-sen-trik] / ˌæn θrə poʊˈsɛn trɪk /

adjective

  1. regarding the human being as the central fact of the universe.

  2. assuming human beings to be the final aim and end of the universe.

  3. viewing and interpreting everything only in terms of human experience and values.


anthropocentric British  
/ ˌænθrəpəʊˈsɛntrɪk /

adjective

  1. regarding man as the most important and central factor in the universe

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of anthropocentric

First recorded in 1850–55; anthropo- + -centric

Explanation

If you have an anthropocentric perspective, it means that you believe humans are the most important part of the world we live in. The word anthropocentric combines the Greek words for "human" and "center." This human-centered perspective has influenced many of our policies and decisions, sometimes at the expense of the environment and other living creatures. As we face global challenges, many argue for a shift towards valuing the entire ecosystem, recognizing that plants, animals, and other elements of nature are crucial parts of our world too.

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Vocabulary lists containing anthropocentric

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.

“We can’t continue to focus on humans, to have an anthropocentric point of view on this pandemic,” Desvars-Larrive says.

From Scientific American • Nov. 15, 2022

Today, she believes, “If we can move from an androcentric, anthropocentric view to a sex-, gender-, and species-spanning perspective, then we can do good.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2022

And “in this new work,” she adds, “I want to use birds not as anthropocentric symbols but as routes to more vulnerable, attuned encounters with the nonhuman.”

From New York Times • Aug. 9, 2022

“It’s too anthropocentric, completely missing what land restoration means,” says restoration ecologist David Moreno Mateos of Harvard University.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 27, 2022

While the geocentric and anthropocentric illusions have been dispelled, the illusion of the immobility and eternity of classes still persists.

From The Positive School of Criminology Three Lectures Given at the University of Naples, Italy on April 22, 23 and 24, 1901 by Ferri, Enrico

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