animate

1 of 2

adjective

an·​i·​mate ˈa-nə-mət How to pronounce animate (audio)
1
: possessing or characterized by life : alive
2
: full of life : animated
3
: of or relating to animal life as opposed to plant life
4
: referring to a living thing
an animate noun
animately adverb
animateness noun

animate

2 of 2

verb

an·​i·​mate ˈa-nə-ˌmāt How to pronounce animate (audio)
animated; animating

transitive verb

1
: to give spirit and support to : encourage
2
a
: to give life to
b
: to give vigor and zest to
3
: to move to action
a criminal animated by greed
4
a
: to make or design in such a way as to create apparently spontaneous lifelike movement
animate a cartoon
b
: to produce in the form of an animated cartoon
animate a story

Did you know?

The Latin word anima meaning “breath, soul” that gave us “animal” has given us other words. The English adjective animate meaning “alive” comes from the Latin verb animare, meaning “to give life to,” which in turn came from anima. A characteristic of animals is their ability to move. When a cartoon is drawn and filmed in such a way that lifelike movement is produced, it is animated. An animated film seems to have a life of its own.

Choose the Right Synonym for animate

quicken, animate, enliven, vivify mean to make alive or lively.

quicken stresses a sudden renewal of life or activity especially in something inert.

the arrival of spring quickens the earth

animate emphasizes the imparting of motion or vitality to what is or might be mechanical or artificial.

happiness animated his conversation

enliven suggests a stimulus that arouses from dullness or torpidity.

enlivened her lectures with humorous anecdotes

vivify implies a freshening or energizing through renewal of vitality.

new blood needed to vivify the dying club

Examples of animate in a Sentence

Adjective The lecture was about ancient worship of animate and inanimate objects. an animate dance routine that will really get the blood pumping Verb The writer's humor animates the novel. The film's very realistic dinosaurs were animated on computers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
To successfully counter the anti-American narratives that animate Russian diplomacy and disinformation, the United States must make support for democratic governance and civil society a centerpiece of its foreign policy. Max Bergmann, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2024 The system is designed so that the motion of both robots is always coordinated, while simultaneously supporting the ability to flexibly animate individual robots–or individual parts of the robot, like the mouth and eyes. IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2024 The legs, both human and equine, are what animate this picture by the great El Greco. Washington Post, 29 June 2023 The emotions that animate finance are frequently berserk. WIRED, 26 Sep. 2023 Civil rights concerns animate those opposed to more crackdowns; 94 percent of those prosecuted for narcotics charges in the Bronx were Black or Latino. Wesley Parnell, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2023 Her gospel draws on the individual impulse to tinker, prevalent in early America and throughout its history, and joins it with an appreciation for animate objects developed in her five years as a miko, or shrine maiden, at a Shinto temple. Coco Krumme, WIRED, 13 Sep. 2023 The counterintuitive and sinewy motions of snakes, stingrays, and skydivers represent a strange kind of motion that is notoriously hard to simulate, animate, or anticipate. IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2023 The great couples of the highbrow set animate the book, from Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir to Diana and Lionel Trilling to Allen Ginsberg and Neal Cassady. Beverly Gage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
Verb
The legacy of that communal suffering animates the writing of Mr. Shuang, now 40 and one of China’s most celebrated young authors. Vivian Wang, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Gold and marble statues hold their poses patiently in the hall around him, but Dickinson remains animated. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 Laughter, gossip, and connection animated the affair. Ian Malone, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024 Today, at the Frieze Art Fair in Los Angeles, BMW unveiled a stunning and surprisingly animated tribute to an iconic vehicle from the brand’s long-running Art Car program. Brett Berk, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024 From the beginning of her career, Swisher was animated by the understanding that technology moves in only one direction—forward. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 The adaptation is animated by Tezuka Productions and directed by anime industry veteran Ryōsuke Takahashi. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 In addition, the company has 10 original live-action and animated series in development set to premiere on the platform throughout 2024. Todd Spangler, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024 This demonstrates that you are animated and fully engaged and excited about your work, which are essential qualities for you as a leader, because your energy and enthusiasm will be contagious. Rachel Wells, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'animate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Verb

Middle English, from Latin animatus, past participle of animare to give life to, from anima breath, soul; akin to Old English ōthian to breathe, Latin animus spirit, Greek anemos wind, Sanskrit aniti he breathes

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of animate was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near animate

Cite this Entry

“Animate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

animate

1 of 2 adjective
an·​i·​mate ˈan-ə-mət How to pronounce animate (audio)
1
: having life : alive
2
animately adverb

animate

2 of 2 verb
an·​i·​mate ˈan-ə-ˌmāt How to pronounce animate (audio)
animated; animating
1
: to give life to : make alive
2
: to give spirit and vigor to : enliven
3
: to make as an animated cartoon
animate a story
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English animate "alive," from Latin animatus (same meaning), derived from anima "soul, breath" — related to animal see Word History at animal

Word Origin
The same Latin word anima meaning "breath, soul" that gave us animal has given us other words. The English adjective animate meaning "alive" comes from the Latin verb animare meaning "to give life to," which in turn came from anima. A characteristic of animals is their ability to move about. When a cartoon is drawn and filmed in such a way that lifelike movement is produced, we say it is animated. An animated film seems to have a life of its own.

Medical Definition

animate

adjective
an·​i·​mate ˈan-ə-mət How to pronounce animate (audio)
1
: possessing or characterized by life
2
: of or relating to animal life as opposed to plant life

More from Merriam-Webster on animate

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