Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to animism: Pertaining to or characteristic of the belief that natural objects, natural phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls or conscious life.
   • Based on animism: Describing ideas, practices, or worldviews derived from the doctrine of animism.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The tribe's animistic rituals involve offerings to the spirits of the forest and rivers.
  • Many ancient cultures held animistic beliefs, seeing life force in mountains, storms, and trees.
  • Her research focuses on animistic traditions in Southeast Asia.

Advanced Usage

• "animistic worldview": A perspective that views the world as being filled with spiritual beings or conscious forces.
  • The poet's work reflects an animistic worldview, where even stones have stories to tell.
• "animistic thinking": A mode of thought that attributes intention or consciousness to inanimate things, often studied in developmental psychology and anthropology.
  • Some scholars argue that animistic thinking is a fundamental aspect of early human cognition.

Variants and Related Words

• Animism (n): The doctrine or belief that natural objects and phenomena possess souls.
  • Animism is often considered one of humanity's oldest spiritual beliefs.
• Animist (n): A person who believes in animism.
  • The animist prayed to the spirit of the mountain before the climb.

Synonyms

• Spiritualistic: Relating to the belief that spirits exist and can interact with the physical world.
• Pantheistic: Relating to the belief that God is identical with the universe and its phenomena (note: this is related but not identical; pantheism often sees a single divine spirit in everything, while animism sees many individual spirits).

Different Meanings

• This word is highly specific to anthropology, religious studies, and philosophy. It does not have common, everyday meanings outside of describing beliefs related to animism.

Adjective

1. of or pertaining to the doctrine of animism