animalist
|an-i-mal-ist|
/ˈænɪməlɪst/
a person aligned with animals or animalism
Etymology
'animalist' originates from English, formed from 'animal' plus the agentive suffix '-ist'; 'animal' comes from Latin 'animal' (from 'anima' meaning 'breath, soul'), while '-ist' denotes 'a person who practices or is concerned with' something.
'Animal' entered Middle English via Old French from Latin 'animal' (< 'anima'), and the suffix '-ist' came into English via French and Latin from Greek '-istes'; these combined in Modern English to yield 'animalist'.
Initially, it denoted a person concerned with animals or animal representation in art; it later broadened to include advocates of animal welfare/rights and adherents of the philosophical view known as animalism.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a supporter or advocate of animal rights or animal welfare.
The animalist argued for stronger protections against cosmetic testing on animals.
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Noun 2
an adherent of the philosophical doctrine of animalism (the view that human persons are identical with human animals).
The animalist maintains that personal identity endures as long as the human animal persists.
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Noun 3
an artist whose principal subject matter is animals.
The museum commissioned an animalist to create a bronze of a running horse.
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Adjective 1
relating to animalism or to its adherents.
The animalist position rejects mind–body dualism.
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Last updated: 2025/08/12 00:09