Synonyms

creationism

American

[kree-ay-shuh-niz-uhm] / kriˈeɪ ʃəˌnɪz əm /

noun

the doctrine that matter and all things were created, substantially as they now exist, by an omnipotent Creator, and not gradually evolved or developed.
(sometimes initial capital letter) the doctrine that the true story of the creation of the universe is as it is recounted in the Bible, especially in the first chapter of Genesis.
the doctrine that God immediately creates out of nothing a new human soul for each individual born.

creationism British

/ kriːˈeɪʃəˌnɪzəm /

noun

the belief that God brings individual human souls into existence at conception or birth Compare traducianism
the doctrine that ascribes the origins of all things to God's acts of creation rather than to evolution

"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

creationism Cultural

A literal belief in the biblical account of Creation as it appears in the Book of Genesis. Creationists believe that the creation of the world and all its creatures took place in six calendar days; they therefore deny the theory of evolution.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of creationism

First recorded in 1840–50; creation + -ism

Vocabulary lists containing creationism

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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.

See Examples For:

creationism

This is not to say that evangelicals’ attachment to creationism has gone away, even if it has faded from mainstream discourse.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

The NSS is calling for a ban on teaching creationism in schools in Wales, saying "it undermines teaching about evidence-based theories such as evolution".

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2024

Others have argued that intelligent design is just creationism in a new package.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2024

“I grew up in a young Earth creationism home, with a worldview that was based in evangelical Christianity and a literal translation of the Bible,” recalls the 42-year-old Townley.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 24, 2023

He combines Aristotelian logic, physics and psychology with Neo-Platonic metaphysics, and puts on the surface a veneer of theistic creationism.

From A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy by Isaac Husik

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023