Darwinism

noun

Dar·​win·​ism ˈdär-wə-ˌni-zəm 

1

: a theory of the origin and perpetuation of new species of animals and plants that offspring of a given organism vary, that natural selection favors the survival of some of these variations over others, that new species have arisen and may continue to arise by these processes, and that widely divergent groups of plants and animals have arisen from the same ancestors compare evolution sense 1, neo-Darwinism

2

: a theory that inherent dynamic forces allow only the fittest persons or organizations to prosper in a competitive environment or situation

economic Darwinism

compare social darwinism

Darwinist

ˈdär-wə-nist 

noun or adjective

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Darwinism

• anti-Darwinism
• neo-Darwinism
• social Darwinism

Rhymes for Darwinism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

Kids Definition

Darwinism

noun

Dar·​win·​ism ˈdär-wə-ˌniz-əm 

: a theory explaining the origin and continued existence of new kinds of animals and plants by means of natural selection acting on chance variations

Medical Definition

Darwinism

noun

Dar·​win·​ism ˈdär-wə-ˌniz-əm 

: a theory of the origin and perpetuation of new species of animals and plants that offspring of a given organism vary, that natural selection favors the survival of some of these variations over others, that new species have arisen and may continue to arise by these processes, and that widely divergent groups of plants and animals have arisen from the same ancestors

broadly : a theory of biological evolution

Darwinist

-wə-nəst 

noun or adjective