anthropopathy
|an-thro-po-pa-thy|
/ˌænθrəˈpæθi/
attributing human feelings
Etymology
'anthropopathy' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'anthrōpos' and 'pathos', where 'anthrōpos' meant 'human' and 'pathos' meant 'suffering' or 'feeling'.
'anthropopathy' was formed in New Latin/Modern English from the Greek components (via formations like medieval/modern Latin 'anthropopathia') and entered English usage in theological and medical contexts.
Initially, the root sense related to 'human suffering' or 'human feeling'; over time the dominant specialized meaning became the attribution of human emotions to gods or non-human agents in theological and literary usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
(theology, literary) The attribution of human feelings, emotions, or passions to a deity or to non-human entities; personification of divine affect.
Many classical writers display anthropopathy when they describe gods as jealous or wrathful.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
(rare, archaic/technical) Human suffering or disease; states of human feeling or affliction (obsolete/rare sense derived from literal components 'anthropo-' + 'pathy').
In some 19th-century medical texts the term anthropopathy was occasionally used to denote conditions affecting humans specifically.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/26 12:22