metamorphosis

American  

[met-uh-mawr-fuh-sis] / ˌmɛt əˈmɔr fə sɪs /

noun

• metamorphoses
  plural

1. Biology. a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa to the adult butterfly.

   Antonyms:

   stasis

2. a complete change of form, structure, or substance, as transformation by magic or witchcraft.

   Synonyms:

   transmutation, mutation

   Antonyms:

   stasis

3. any complete change in appearance, character, circumstances, etc.

4. a form resulting from any such change.

5. Pathology.

   1. a type of alteration or degeneration in which tissues are changed.

      fatty metamorphosis of the liver.

   2. the resultant form.

6. Botany. the structural or functional modification of a plant organ or structure during its development.

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metamorphosis British  

/ ˌmɛtəˈmɔːfəsɪs /

noun

1. a complete change of physical form or substance

2. a complete change of character, appearance, etc

3. a person or thing that has undergone metamorphosis

4. zoology the rapid transformation of a larva into an adult that occurs in certain animals, for example the stage between tadpole and frog or between chrysalis and butterfly

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metamorphosis Scientific  

/ mĕt′ə-môr′fə-sĭs /

1. Dramatic change in the form and often the habits of an animal during its development after birth or hatching. The transformation of a maggot into an adult fly and of a tadpole into an adult frog are examples of metamorphosis. The young of such animals are called larvae.

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metamorphosis Cultural  

1. A change in an animal as it grows, particularly a radical change, such as the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonmetamorphosis
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• metamorphoses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of metamorphosis

First recorded in 1525–35; from New Latin metamorphōsis, from Greek metamórphōsis “transformation”; equivalent to meta- + -morph + -osis

Explanation

In Kafka's novel entitled Metamorphosis, a man wakes up to find he has turned into a cockroach. That kind of complete and startling change pretty much sums up the word. When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it goes through a metamorphosis. An idea can undergo metamorphosis, or metamorphosize, too as can feelings. After you spend a full summer with your grandmother, your feelings about the woman may undergo a complete metamorphosis. While you were once afraid of the old woman, you now love her dearly.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

metamorphosis metamorphoses

The magic of metamorphosis in butterflies underscores our capacity for change, too.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

That's not what we would expect to see in amphibians, whose metamorphosis from tadpoles into adults includes much more dramatic rearranging and development of organs and limbs.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts noted that the entertainment industry is in the throes of a major transformation and that NBCUniversal has laid the groundwork for its own metamorphosis.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2026

Sean Combs is one of these moments that should be understood as a marker in this metamorphosis.

From Slate ● Jun. 10, 2025

As she put it on, Desdemona felt as though she were spinning her own cocoon, awaiting metamorphosis.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

"Just like butterflies, corals also undergo different metamorphoses and stages."

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2025

Lyn Slater will be the first to tell you her life has been a series of happy accidents and purposeful metamorphoses.

From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2024

These metamorphoses are far more compelling and convincing than the psychological evolution of the story’s central character.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 13, 2023

Notably, music emerges as the most honest vehicle for them to bond over, and as the cinematic element that most closely parallels Freddie’s metamorphoses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2022

In fact, some scientists believe that Maria may have been the only person to record the metamorphoses of many species in Surinam that have since become extinct.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

Related Words

• evolution
• rebirth