anti-vitalist
|an-ti-vi-ta-list|
/ˌæn.tiˈvaɪ.təl.ɪst/
against vitalism
Etymology
'anti-vitalist' originates from Modern English, combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') with 'vitalist', derived from 'vitalism' and ultimately from Latin 'vitalis' meaning 'of life'.
'vitalist' developed from the noun 'vitalism' (18th–19th century philosophical/medical usage), which itself comes from Late Latin 'vitalis' ('of life'). The compound 'anti-' + 'vitalist' formed in Modern English to denote opposition to that doctrine.
Initially, 'vitalis' simply meant 'of life' in Latin; over time 'vitalism' came to denote the doctrine attributing a special life force to organisms, and 'anti-vitalist' came to mean one who opposes that doctrine.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who opposes or rejects vitalism (the doctrine that living organisms are governed by a non-physical vital force).
She was known as an anti-vitalist who argued that biological processes can be explained by chemistry and physics alone.
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Adjective 1
opposing or rejecting the doctrine of vitalism; not supportive of claims that living beings require a distinct vital force.
The paper took an anti-vitalist stance, arguing against any appeal to a special life force in biological explanation.
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Last updated: 2025/11/27 22:57