Darwin

American  

[dahr-win] / ˈdɑr wɪn /

noun

1. Charles (Robert), 1809–82, English naturalist and author.

2. his grandfather Erasmus, 1731–1802, English naturalist and poet.

3. a seaport in and the capital of Northern Territory, in N Australia.

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Darwin ¹ British  

/ ˈdɑːwɪn /

noun

1. Former name (1869–1911): Palmerston.  a port in N Australia, capital of the Northern Territory: destroyed by a cyclone in 1974 but rebuilt on the same site. Pop: 71 347 (2001)

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Darwin ² British  

/ ˈdɑːwɪn /

noun

1. Charles ( Robert ). 1809–82, English naturalist who formulated the theory of evolution by natural selection, expounded in On the Origin of Species (1859) and applied to man in The Descent of Man (1871)

2. his grandfather, Erasmus. 1731–1802, English physician and poet; author of Zoonomia, or the Laws of Organic Life (1794–96), anticipating Lamarck's views on evolution

3. Sir George Howard , son of Charles Darwin. 1845–1912, English astronomer and mathematician noted for his work on tidal friction

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Darwin Scientific  

/ där′wĭn /

1. British naturalist who proposed the theory of evolution based on natural selection (1858). Darwin's theory, that random variation of traits within an individual species can lead to the development of new species, revolutionized the study of biology.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anti-Darwin
  adjective
• pro-Darwin
  adjective

Example Sentences

Here’s a creation myth for the age of Darwin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Liverpool raked in more than £250m from sales of players such as striker Darwin Nunez to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich and Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

Australia's defence minister Richard Marles said Thursday that Canberra was "disappointed" the Chinese leaseholder of the strategic Darwin Port was challenging efforts to return it to local ownership.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

This part of Australia is remote - the nearest city is Darwin, a 15-hour drive north.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

A natural historian should be able to describe the state of the natural world in terms of causes and effects, Darwin reasoned—just as a physicist might describe the motion of a ball in the air.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee