animatism

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noun

The belief that everything is pervaded by a life force giving each inanimate object a consciousness or personality, but not a soul as in animism.

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Meanings

nounanimatism (countable and uncountable, plural animatisms)

plural animatisms

  1. countableuncountableanthropologyThe belief that everything is pervaded by a life force giving each inanimate object a consciousness or personality, but not a soul as in animism.

Origin

From animate + -ism. Originally coined by British anthropologist Robert Marett to refer to "a belief in a generalized, impersonal power over which people have some measure of control".

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Korean 유생주의
  • 유생주의 (yusaengjuui)belief that everything is pervaded by a life force
Portuguese animatismo
  • animatismobelief that everything is pervaded by a life force
Cite this entry
APA

animatism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/animatism

MLA

“animatism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/animatism. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “animatism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/animatism.

Source: animatism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.