animism
noun
an·i·mism
ˈa-nə-ˌmi-zəm 
1
: a doctrine that the vital principle of organic development is immaterial spirit
2
: attribution of conscious life to objects in and phenomena of nature or to inanimate objects
3
: belief in the existence of spirits separable from bodies
Examples of animism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His witchcraft is heavily informed by animism, or the belief that everything possesses a spirit.
—
Scottie Andrew, CNN, 26 Oct. 2024
Do psychedelics open a pathway to theories about consciousness like panpsychism and animism—belief systems in which everything in the world—animals, plants, even rocks—are conscious or have some spiritual essence?
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 26 Aug. 2024
There’s a lot of conceptual overlap here with animism, anthropologists’ (historically derogatory) term for a belief system that says everything is alive or imbued with spirit.
—Sigal Samuel, Vox, 4 June 2024
Strands of atheist thought can be found in non-theistic traditions such as Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, as well cultures around the world that practice animism.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for animism 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Scottie Andrew, CNN, 26 Oct. 2024
Do psychedelics open a pathway to theories about consciousness like panpsychism and animism—belief systems in which everything in the world—animals, plants, even rocks—are conscious or have some spiritual essence?
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 26 Aug. 2024
There’s a lot of conceptual overlap here with animism, anthropologists’ (historically derogatory) term for a belief system that says everything is alive or imbued with spirit.
—Sigal Samuel, Vox, 4 June 2024
Strands of atheist thought can be found in non-theistic traditions such as Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, as well cultures around the world that practice animism.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for animism
Dictionary Entries Near animism
Cite this Entry
“Animism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animism. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
animism
noun
an·i·mism
ˈan-ə-ˌmiz-əm
1
: a doctrine that the vital principle of organic development is immaterial spirit
2
: attribution of conscious life to nature or natural objects
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share