vitalism

[ vahyt-l-iz-uhm ]

  1. the doctrine that phenomena are only partly controlled by mechanical forces, and are in some measure self-determining.: Compare dynamism (def. 1), mechanism (def. 8).

  2. Biology. a doctrine that ascribes the functions of a living organism to a vital principle distinct from chemical and physical forces.

Origin of vitalism

1
First recorded in 1815–25; vital + -ism

Other words from vitalism

  • vi·tal·ist, noun, adjective
  • vi·tal·is·tic, adjective
  • vi·tal·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby vitalism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use vitalism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vitalism

vitalism

/ (ˈvaɪtəˌlɪzəm) /


noun
  1. the philosophical doctrine that the phenomena of life cannot be explained in purely mechanical terms because there is something immaterial which distinguishes living from inanimate matter: Compare dynamism, mechanism

Derived forms of vitalism

  • vitalist, noun, adjective
  • vitalistic, 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