evolutionist

[ev-uh-loo-shuh-nist or, esp. British, ee-vuh-]

noun

a person who believes in or supports a theory of evolution, especially in biology.
a person who supports a policy of gradual growth or development rather than sudden change or expansion.

adjective Also ev·o·lu·tion·is·tic.

of or relating to evolution or evolutionists.
believing in or supporting a theory of evolution, especially in biology.

Origin of evolutionist

First recorded in 1855–60; evolution + -ist

Related formsev·o·lu·tion·ism, nounev·o·lu·tion·is·ti·cal·ly, adverban·ti·ev·o·lu·tion·ist, noun, adjectivean·ti·ev·o·lu·tion·is·tic, adjectivenon·ev·o·lu·tion·ist, nounpre·ev·o·lu·tion·ist, nounpro·ev·o·lu·tion·ist, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for evolutionist

Contemporary Examples of evolutionist

I am a theist and an evolutionist, to be sure, but the combined term makes no sense to me.
Meet the Prizewinning Catholic Biologist Creationists Can’t Stand
Karl W. Giberson
April 6, 2014

Historical Examples of evolutionist

Thus, to Spencer, the evolutionist theory contains no immorality.
Initiation into Philosophy
Emile Faguet
Prof. Poulton also tries to show that Prichard was an evolutionist.
More Letters of Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
The rector has come out, in a quiet way, as an evolutionist.
A Mortal Antipathy
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
The advocate of creation is in this matter in no worse position than the evolutionist.
The Story of the Earth and Man
J. W. Dawson
But if we grant this second demand, the evolutionist has a third in store for us.
The Story of the Earth and Man
J. W. Dawson

British Dictionary definitions for evolutionist

evolutionist

noun

a person who believes in a theory of evolution, esp Darwin's theory of the evolution of plant and animal species

adjective

of or relating to a theory of evolution

Derived Formsevolutionism, nounevolutionistic, 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 evolutionist

1859, from evolution + -ist. Related: Evolutionism.