anti-vitalistic
|an-ti-vi-tal-is-tic|
/ˌæn.ti.vaɪtəˈlɪs.tɪk/
against the life-force doctrine
Etymology
'anti-vitalistic' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') combined with 'vitalistic', which comes from 'vitalism' (from Latin 'vitalis', meaning 'of life').
'vitalis' (Latin) → 'vital' (Old French/Latin-derived) → 'vitalism' (coined in modern scientific/philosophical usage) → 'vitalistic' (adjectival form) → 'anti-vitalistic' by prefixing 'anti-'.
Initially related forms meant 'pertaining to life' (from Latin 'vitalis'), but over time 'vitalism' came to denote the doctrine of a special life force; 'anti-vitalistic' thus evolved to mean 'against that doctrine'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
opposed to vitalism; denying or rejecting the doctrine that living organisms are governed by a non-physical 'vital force'.
The scientist took an anti-vitalistic stance, arguing that biological phenomena can be explained entirely by chemistry and physics.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/27 22:46