vitalism
noun
vi·tal·ism
ˈvī-tə-ˌli-zəm 
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
Examples of vitalism in a Sentence
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During that Algiers Motel purgatory, the Motown vitalism (and its implied orgiastic decadence) is interrupted by a John Coltrane jazz record.
—
Armond White, National Review, 4 Aug. 2017
That was vitalism, the idea that physics and chemistry were fine for inert matter, but anything alive was radically different.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2011
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Armond White, National Review, 4 Aug. 2017
That was vitalism, the idea that physics and chemistry were fine for inert matter, but anything alive was radically different.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2011
Cite this Entry
“Vitalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vitalism. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
vitalism
noun
vi·tal·ism
ˈvīt-ᵊl-ˌiz-əm
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
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