Animalia
|an-i-ma-li-a|
/ˌænɪˈmeɪliə/
animals (the animal kingdom)
Etymology
'Animalia' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'animalia', the plural of 'animal', where 'animal' meant 'a living being; creature'.
'Animalia' was used in classical Latin as the plural of 'animal'; in modern scientific usage (from the late 18th century onward) it was adopted as the formal name for the animal kingdom in taxonomy and entered English as a scientific term.
Initially, it meant 'living beings' or 'creatures' in Latin; over time it evolved into the technical taxonomic name for the animal kingdom in biology, retaining the general sense of 'animals' but used as a formal group name.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the taxonomic kingdom comprising all animals (Metazoa); used as the formal name for the animal kingdom in biology.
Scientists classify humans in the kingdom Animalia.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
the Latin plural of 'animal', meaning 'animals' in classical or ecclesiastical Latin usage.
In some Latin texts, 'Animalia' simply means 'animals'.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/28 07:23