dif·fu·sion·ist
di-ˈfyü-zhə-nəst 
: an anthropologist who emphasizes the role of diffusion in the history of culture rather than independent invention or discovery
diffusionist
adjective
dif·fu·sion·ism
-zhəˌnizəm
: a theory in anthropology: widely separated cultural similarities are evidence of historical contact
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Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 17 May 2011
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Noun
Until relatively recently the spread of agriculture in Europe, and to some extent the whole world, was pigeon-holed into two maximalist models: cultural or demographic diffusionist.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 17 May 2011
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“Diffusionist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diffusionist. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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