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
As the room darkened, the lens shimmered greener than green in an affirmation of presence and power that felt, if not human, undoubtedly animate. Tara Anne Dalbow, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2024 Two tendencies animate Dickinson’s letters, two ways of imagining what writing might do. Kamran Javadizadeh, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2024
Verb
Cutting-edge technology, including interactive video projection, LED lighting, and 3D sculptures ignite the senses and bring the legendary 1993 animated musical to life, including fan-favorite characters like Jack Skellington, Sally, Zero, and the Mayor. Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 It is also accompanied by hilarious animation similar to the Nanny's title sequence, which was also animated. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for animate 

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 12 Oct. 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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