anthropomorphism

Use Anthropomorphism in a sentence

an·thro·po·mor·phism

[an-thruh-puh-mawr-fiz-uhm]
noun
an anthropomorphic conception or representation, as of a deity.

Origin:
1745–55; anthropo- + -morphism

an·thro·po·mor·phist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
anthropomorphism (ˌænθrəpəˈmɔːfɪzəm) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
the attribution of human form or behaviour to a deity, animal, etc
 
anthropo'morphist
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Anthropomorphism is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

anthropomorphism
1753, "attributing of human qualities to a deity" (see anthropomorphic). Of other non-human things, from 1858. Related: Anthropomorphize (1845).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

anthropomorphism an·thro·po·mor·phism (ān'thrə-pə-môr'fĭz'əm)
n.
The attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to nonhuman organisms or inanimate objects.


an'thro·po·mor'phic adj.
an'thro·po·mor'phi·cal·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

anthropomorphism definition


(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 American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

anthropomorphism

the interpretation of nonhuman things or events in terms of human characteristics, as when one senses malice in a computer or hears human voices in the wind. Derived from the Greek anthropos ("human") and morphe ("form"), the term was first used to refer to the attribution of human physical or mental features to deities. By the mid-19th century, however, it had acquired the second, broader meaning of a phenomenon occurring not only in religion but in all areas of human thought and action, including daily life, the arts, and even sciences. Anthropomorphism may occur consciously or unconsciously. Most scholars since the time of the English philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626) have agreed that the tendency to anthropomorphize hinders the understanding of the world, but it is deep-seated and persistent

Learn more about anthropomorphism with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
The fact that such anthropomorphism looks easy when it's done this well should
  not minimize the achievement.
One of the first things primatology students are taught is to avoid
  anthropomorphism.
These days artists can take a literally hands-on approach to preservation and
  anthropomorphism.
Of course, anthropomorphism played a large role in their depiction.
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