Darwinian

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See also: darwinian

English[edit]

WOTD – 12 February 2021

Etymology[edit]

A photographic portrait of Charles Darwin taken in 1868 by Julia Margaret Cameron.
A 1792 portrait of Erasmus Darwin, Charles Darwin’s grandfather, by Joseph Wright of Derby.

From Darwin +‎ -ian (suffix with the sense ‘belonging to, relating to, or like’ forming adjectives or nouns). Darwin is the surname of Erasmus Darwin (1731–1802) and his grandson Charles Darwin (1809–1882).[1]

Adjective sense 2 (“of or pertaining to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia”) and noun sense 2 (“native or resident of Darwin”) refer to the city of Darwin which was named after Charles Darwin.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

Darwinian (comparative more Darwinian, superlative most Darwinian)

  1. Senses relating to Charles and Erasmus Darwin.
    1. Of or pertaining to the scientific views advanced by the English biologist, geologist, and naturalist Charles Darwin, especially his theory that living organisms evolve through the natural selection of inherited variations that increase organisms' ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.
      Synonyms: Darwinic, (chiefly humorous, archaic, rare) Darwinical, Darwinist, Darwinistic, (somewhat derogatory) Darwinite
    2. (by extension) Of or pertaining to Darwinism, which includes the theories of Charles Darwin and other scientists.
      Synonyms: Darwinist, Darwinistic
    3. (by extension) Competitive, especially in a ruthless manner.
      Synonym: dog eat dog
    4. (by extension) Exhibiting an ability to adapt or develop in order to survive; adaptable.
      Synonyms: agile, flexible
      Antonyms: inadaptable, inflexible, rigid, unadaptable
    5. (chiefly historical) Of or pertaining to the philosophical and scientific views, or poetic style, of the natural philosopher, physiologist, and poet Erasmus Darwin.
      Synonym: (obsolete, rare) Darwinic
  2. Of or pertaining to Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia.

Alternative forms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

competitive, especially in a ruthless manner — see competitive
exhibiting an ability to adapt or develop in order to survive — see adaptable

See also[edit]

Noun[edit]

Darwinian (plural Darwinians)

  1. Senses relating to Charles and Erasmus Darwin.
    1. An adherent of Charles Darwin's theory of the origin of species, or of Darwinism.
      Synonyms: Darwinist, (somewhat derogatory) Darwinite
    2. (obsolete, rare) An adherent of the philosophical and scientific views, or poetic style, of Erasmus Darwin.
  2. A native or resident of Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Alternative forms[edit]

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ “Darwinian, adj. and n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2012; “Darwinian, adj. and n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading[edit]

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