Main Entry:

vi·tal·ism

Pronunciation:

\ˈvī-tə-ˌli-zəm\

Function:

noun

Date:

1822

1 : a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from physicochemical forces 2 : a doctrine that the processes of life are not explicable by the laws of physics and chemistry alone and that life is in some part self-determining

— vi·tal·ist \-list\ noun or adjective

— vi·tal·is·tic \ˌvī-tə-ˈlis-tik\ adjective