anthropomorphism

[ an-thruh-puh-mawr-fiz-uhm ]

noun
  1. an anthropomorphic conception or representation, as of a deity.

Origin of anthropomorphism

1
First recorded in 1745–55; anthropo- + -morphism

Other words from anthropomorphism

  • an·thro·po·mor·phist, noun

Words Nearby anthropomorphism

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How to use anthropomorphism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for anthropomorphism

anthropomorphism

/ (ˌænθrəpəˈmɔːfɪzəm) /


noun
  1. the attribution of human form or behaviour to a deity, animal, etc

Derived forms of anthropomorphism

  • anthropomorphist, noun

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

Cultural definitions for anthropomorphism

anthropomorphism

[ (an-thruh-puh-mawr-fiz-uhm) ]


The attributing of human characteristics and purposes to inanimate objects, animals, plants, or other natural phenomena, or to God. To describe a rushing river as “angry” is to anthropomorphize it.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.