animism

[ an-uh-miz-uhm ]

noun

the belief that natural objects, natural phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls.
the belief that natural objects have souls that may exist apart from their material bodies.

the doctrine that the soul is the principle of life and health.
belief in spiritual beings or agencies.

Origin of animism

First recorded in 1825–35; anim(a) + -ism

Other words from animism

an·i·mist, adjective
an·i·mis·tic [an-uh-mis-tik], /ˌæn əˈmɪs tɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby animism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use animism in a sentence

Instead, Dido might have engaged in small, everyday spiritual acts similar to those we see in animism, where spirits reside in all things rather than a handful of powerful deities.
What archaeologists got wrong about female statues, goddesses, and fertility | Annalee Newitz | February 10, 2021 | Popular-Science
This was a new and sophisticated republication of savage animism.
The Necessity of Atheism | Dr. D.M. Brooks
Hence animism, Totemism, and their numerous subsidiary developments.
Theism or Atheism | Chapman Cohen
animism, an′im-izm, n. a theory which regards the belief in separate spiritual existences as the germ of religious ideas.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) | Various
This represents a particular form of animism, for the soul of the ancestor is thought to become a god.
Elements of Folk Psychology | Wilhelm Wundt

The sacrificial object is regarded as having a soul, quite in the sense of early animism.
Elements of Folk Psychology | Wilhelm Wundt

British Dictionary definitions for animism

animism

/ (ˈænɪˌmɪzəm) /

noun

the belief that natural objects, phenomena, and the universe itself have desires and intentions
(in the philosophies of Plato and Pythagoras) the hypothesis that there is an immaterial force that animates the universe

Origin of animism

C19: from Latin anima vital breath, spirit

Derived forms of animism

animist, noun
animistic (ˌænɪˈmɪstɪk), adjective

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

Cultural definitions for animism (1 of 2)

animism

[ (an-uh-miz-uhm) ]

The belief that natural objects such as rivers and rocks possess a soul or spirit. Anima is the Latin word for “soul” or “spirit.” (See voodoo.)

animism

[ (an-uh-miz-uhm) ]

The belief, common among so-called primitive people, that objects and natural phenomena, such as rivers, rocks, and wind, are alive and have feelings and intentions. Animistic beliefs form the basis of many cults. (See also fetish and totemism.)

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