Darwinism
the Darwinian theory that species originate by descent, with variation, from parent forms, through the natural selection of those individuals best adapted for the reproductive success of their kind.
Origin of Darwinism
1Other words from Darwinism
- Dar·win·ist, Dar·win·ite [dahr-wuh-nahyt], /ˈdɑr wəˌnaɪt/, noun, adjective
- Dar·win·is·tic, adjective
- an·ti-Dar·win·ism, noun
- an·ti-Dar·win·ist, noun, adjective
- pro-Dar·win·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for Darwinism
Darwinian theory
/ (ˈdɑːwɪˌnɪzəm) /
the theory of the origin of animal and plant species by evolution through a process of natural selection: Compare Lamarckism See also Neo-Darwinism
Derived forms of Darwinism
- Darwinist or Darwinite, noun, adjective
- Darwinistic, 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
Scientific definitions for Darwinism
[ där′wĭ-nĭz′əm ]
A theory of biological evolution developed by Charles Darwin and others, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce. Darwin's ideas have been refined and modified by subsequent researchers, but his theories still form the foundation of the scientific understanding of the evolution of life. Darwinism is often contrasted with another theory of biological evolution called Lamarckism, based on the now-discredited ideas of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. See Note at evolution.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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