Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

Darwinism

[dahr-wuh-niz-uh m]
noun
  1. the Darwinian theory that species originate by descent, with variation, from parent forms, through the natural selection of those individuals best adapted for the reproductive success of their kind.
Show More

Origin of Darwinism

First recorded in 1855–60; Darwin + -ism
Related formsDar·win·ist, Dar·win·ite [dahr-wuh-nahyt] /ˈdɑr wəˌnaɪt/, noun, adjectiveDar·win·is·tic, adjectivean·ti-Dar·win·ism, nounan·ti-Dar·win·ist, noun, adjectivepro-Dar·win·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for darwinistic

Darwinism

Darwinian theory

noun
  1. the theory of the origin of animal and plant species by evolution through a process of natural selectionCompare Lamarckism See also Neo-Darwinism
Show More
Derived FormsDarwinist or Darwinite, noun, adjectiveDarwinistic, 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

Word Origin and History for darwinistic

Darwinism

n.

1864, from Charles Darwin (1809-1882), whose major works were "The Origin of Species" (1859) and "The Descent of Man" (1871), + -ism.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
darwinistic in Medicine

Darwinism

(där′wĭ-nĭz′əm)
n.
  1. A theory of biological evolution developed by Charles Darwin and others, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.
Show More
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
darwinistic in Science

Darwinism

[där′wĭ-nĭz′əm]
  1. A theory of biological evolution developed by Charles Darwin and others, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce. Darwin's ideas have been refined and modified by subsequent researchers, but his theories still form the foundation of the scientific understanding of the evolution of life. Darwinism is often contrasted with another theory of biological evolution called Lamarckism, based on the now-discredited ideas of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. See Note at evolution.
Show More
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.