uniformitarian

American  

[yoo-nuh-fawr-mi-tair-ee-uhn] / ˌyu nəˌfɔr mɪˈtɛər i ən /

adjective

1. supporting, conforming to, or derived from a theory or doctrine about uniformity, especially on the subject of geology.

2. Geology. of or relating to the thesis that processes that operated in the remote geological past are not different from those observed now.

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noun

1. a person who accepts or supports a uniformitarian theory.

uniformitarian British  

/ ˌjuːnɪˌfɔːmɪˈtɛərɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to uniformitarianism

2. of, characterized by, or conforming to uniformity

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noun

1. a supporter of a theory of uniformity or of uniformitarianism

Other Word Forms

• uniformitarianism noun

Etymology

Origin of uniformitarian

First recorded in 1830–40; uniformit(y) + -arian

Explanation

A uniformitarian is someone who agrees with the idea that the processes affecting Earth's geology have always acted in essentially the same way they do today. All modern-day scientists are uniformitarians. Before the mid-1800s, most scientists were catastrophists, believing that Earth's natural formations developed quickly from a series of catastrophic events and that mass extinctions were followed by brand new life forms. The modern science of geology grew out of uniformitarians realizing that the processes and natural laws observed today have existed throughout history. They saw that uniform changes over time account for all of the planet's remarkable features, from canyons and river valleys to mountains and islands.

Example Sentences

Hancock's plaint is that mainstream science is stuck in a uniformitarian model of slow, gradual change and so cannot accept a catastrophic explanation.

From Scientific American • Jun. 12, 2017

It is logical to use these proportions as prior probabilities by making a uniformitarian assumption that they were similar in the Mesozoic.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 22, 2011

Sir Charles said not a word; he let the paragraph stand; and Adams never knew whether the great Uniformitarian was strict or lax in his uniformitarian creed; but he doubted.

From The Education of Henry Adams by Adams, Henry

The advent of modified uniformitarian principles all but banished the word catastrophe from science, and marked the birth of Geology as we know it now.

From Natural Law in the Spiritual World by Drummond, Henry

The address began with a protest against the old uniformitarian view of geological changes as expressed by Playfair in his Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory.

From Lord Kelvin An account of his scientific life and work by Gray, Andrew