as in brutality
the manifestation of the traits or the gratification of the appetites of a lower animal
without law and order, society would quickly devolve into a state of animalism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of animalism
Hope is something that Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri can related to, having explored the dualities of hope and despair (as well as lightness and darkness, and fluidity and animalism) in her spring 2023 collection.
—
Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 22 Jan. 2025
All of a sudden, that animalism has been incarnated.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
But what Cameron represents to Harper is unfettered animalism, and that’s part of what’s missing in her relationship with Ethan.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2022
The Seven Commandments (Revised) of Orwellian Animalism:
This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links.
—John Brownlee, WIRED, 15 Jan. 2007
Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 22 Jan. 2025
All of a sudden, that animalism has been incarnated.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
But what Cameron represents to Harper is unfettered animalism, and that’s part of what’s missing in her relationship with Ethan.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2022
The Seven Commandments (Revised) of Orwellian Animalism:
This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links.
—John Brownlee, WIRED, 15 Jan. 2007
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animalism
Noun
-
With much of the world horrified by the USSR’s brutality, Eisenhower was furious that the British-French-Israeli offensive was both diverting international attention and handing Moscow a PR victory by enabling it to speak about Western aggression in the Middle East.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The 1986 film also included accounts by former conscripts who had been forced to participate in the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, making clear the hopelessness and brutality of the war, starkly contrasting with the Kremlin’s version of a war of progress and purpose.—
Will Tizard,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
This strangeness causes all sorts of internal agitation, an uneasiness about humanity’s closeness to animality.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2025
-
But also, something more intrinsic — something like her animality.—
Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Pardo Bazán’s themes are fear, love, hatred, forgiveness, cruelty, repentance, homesickness, and madness—that is, naked reality as experienced across social strata in her time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The punishment doesn't match the cruelty of your actions.—
Cameron Knight,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Animalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animalism. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share