bipedalism

American  

[bahy-ped-l-iz-uhm] / baɪˈpɛd lˌɪz əm /

Also bipedality

noun

1. the condition of being two-footed or of using two feet for standing and walking.

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Etymology

Origin of bipedalism

First recorded in 1905–10; bipedal + -ism

Explanation

Bipedalism is the characteristic of walking on two feet, rather than four. Your bipedalism means you stand upright on two legs — it also means that you skip, run, dance, and tiptoe using two feet. This word's roots go back to the Latin bi-, "two," and ped, "foot." Bipedalism is any kind of movement involving two feet, and animals that get around this way are described as bipedal or called bipeds. As human ancestors evolved, bipedalism became a big advantage, allowing us to grab things with our hands as we stood and walked around on our feet. Other animals that use bipedalism include ostriches, bears, and some apes.

Example Sentences

Prior to that, she was a paleoanthropology researcher and received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in 2016 for work focused on hominin bipedalism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

Both species possessed upright postures, bipedalism and were highly agile.

From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2024

He posited that humans evolved through natural selection, and that the first thing to develop was bipedalism; in other words, standing upright preceded brain development.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2024

"The dramatic increase in the average evolution rate of semicircular canals" within these apes may illuminate that "the rapid evolution of bipedalism in the human lineage in response to gradual global cooling."

From Salon • Feb. 16, 2024

The human lineage, through a succession of species, subsequently acquired key characteristics such as bipedalism, longer limbs and a larger brain.

From Reuters • Jun. 1, 2023