preformationalist
|pre-for-ma-tion-al-ist|
🇺🇸
/ˌpriːfɔrməˈmeɪʃənəlɪst/
🇬🇧
/ˌpriːfɔːməˈmeɪʃənəlɪst/
a supporter of preformation
Etymology
'preformationalist' originates from Modern English, specifically the prefix 'pre-' + the noun 'formation' + the agentive suffix '-ist', where 'pre-' meant 'before', Latin 'formatio' meant 'a shaping' and '-ist' denotes 'an adherent or advocate'.
'preformationalist' developed in English by combining 'preformation' (from Latin 'prae' + 'formatio') with the adjectival suffix '-al' and the agentive suffix '-ist', producing a term for someone who holds the doctrine of preformation.
Initially the parts meant 'before' and 'forming' (i.e., 'forming beforehand'), but the compound evolved to denote specifically 'a person who believes in the doctrine of preformationism' in biology.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who supports or advocates preformationism — the doctrine that organisms develop from miniature, fully formed versions of themselves rather than by gradual generation (epigenesis).
In the 17th century many naturalists were preformationalists who argued that embryos contained tiny, fully formed humans.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/27 15:15