animal definition

English animal definition

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: ăn'ĭməl, IPA^(key): /ˈæn.ɪ.məl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): /ˈæn.ə.məl/

Picture dictionary
organism

mammal fish

amphibian

reptile bird

insect

Etymology 1

From Middle English animal, from Old French animal, from Latin animal, a nominal use of an adjective from animale, neuter of animālis, from anima (“breath, spirit”). Displaced native Middle English deor, der (“animal”) (from Old English dēor (“animal”)), Middle English reother (“animal, neat”) (from Old English hrīþer, hrȳþer (“neat, ox”)).

Noun

animal (plural animals)

1. (sciences) A eukaryote of the clade Animalia; a multicellular organism that is usually mobile, whose cells are not encased in a rigid cell wall (distinguishing it from plants and fungi) and which derives energy solely from the consumption of other organisms (distinguishing it from plants).

   Synonyms: beast, creature

   A cat is an animal, not a plant. Humans are also animals, under the scientific definition, as we are not plants.

   • 1650, Thomas Browne, “Of the Cameleon”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC, 3rd book, page 133:

     It cannot be denied it [the chameleon] is (if not the moſt of any) a very abſtemious animall, and ſuch as by reaſon of its frigidity, paucity of bloud, and latitancy in the winter (about which time the obſervations are often made) will long ſubſist without a viſible ſuſtentation.

2. (strictly) Any member of the kingdom Animalia other than a human.

   Synonym: beast

3. (colloquial) Any land-living vertebrate (i.e. not fishes, insects, etc.).
   • 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:

     Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.

4. (figuratively) A person who behaves wildly; a bestial, brutal, brutish, cruel, or inhuman person.

   Synonyms: brute, monster, savage

   My students are animals.

   • 2019, “Bad Guy”, Finneas O'Connell, Billie Eilish O'Connell (lyrics), performed by Billie Eilish:

     Own me, I'll let you play the role
     I'll be your animal

5. (informal) A person of a particular type.

   He's a political animal.

6. Matter, thing.

   a whole different animal

   no such animal

Hyponyms

• See also Thesaurus:animal

Derived terms

• animalist

Related terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Latin animālis, from either anima (“breath, spirit”) or animus. Originally distinct from the noun, it became associated with attributive use of the noun and is now indistinguishable from it.

Adjective

animal (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to animals.

   Synonyms: beastly, bestial

   animal instincts

2. Raw, base, unhindered by social codes.

   Synonyms: animalistic, beastly, bestial, untamed, wild

   animal passions

3. Pertaining to the spirit or soul; relating to sensation or innervation.
   • 2003, Roy Porter, Flesh in the Age of Reason, Penguin, published 2004, page 47:

     To explain what activated the flesh, ‘animal spirits’ were posited, superfine fluids which shuttled between the mind and the vitals, conveying messages and motion.

4. (slang, Ireland) Excellent

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• Wiktionary appendix of terms relating to animals

Further reading

• “animal”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• animal in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• “animal”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• animal in Britannica Dictionary
• animal in Ozdic collocation dictionary
• animal in WordReference English Collocations

Anagrams

• Alamin, Almain, Malian, Manila, Milana, al-Amin, almain, aminal, lamina, maalin, manila

Asturian animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin animal.

Adjective

animal (epicene, plural animales)

1. animal

Noun

animal m (plural animales)

1. animal

Catalan animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin animal.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /ə.niˈmal/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /a.niˈmal/

• Audio (Valencian)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

animal m or f (masculine and feminine plural animals)

1. animal

Noun

animal m (plural animals)

1. animal

Derived terms

• animalada
• animalitzar (“to animalize”)

Further reading

• “animal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “animal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
• “animal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “animal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Cebuano animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish animal, from Latin animal, a nominal use of an adjective from animale, neuter of animālis, from anima (“breath, spirit”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaniˈmal/, [ʔʌ.n̪ɪˈmal̪]
• Hyphenation: a‧ni‧mal

Noun

animál

1. animal
2. (derogatory) rascal

   Synonym: banyaga

3. (sometimes humurous) a crazy person

Adjective

animál

1. (sometimes humorous) crazy
2. contemptible, deserving contempt
3. ruthless; without pity or compassion; cruel, pitiless

Interjection

animál

1. (vulgar) used as an expression of disgust, anger, etc.

French animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin animal. Compare the archaic inherited doublet aumaille and its variant armaille, both from the Latin neuter plural animālia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.ni.mal/

• (un animal)

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophones: animale, animales

Noun

animal m (plural animaux)

1. animal

   Synonyms: bête, bestiole

Derived terms

Adjective

animal (feminine animale, masculine plural animaux, feminine plural animales)

1. animal

   Synonym: bestial

   Antonym: végétal

Further reading

• “animal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• lamina

Galician animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin animal.

Adjective

animal m or f (plural animais)

1. animal

Noun

animal m (plural animais)

1. animal

Haitian Creole animal definition

Etymology

From French animal, from Latin animal.

Noun

animal

1. animal

   Synonym: zannimo

Ilocano animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish animal.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: a‧ni‧mal
• IPA^(key): /ʔaniˈmal/, [ʔɐ.niˈmal]

Noun

animál

1. animal

   Synonym: ayup

Interlingua animal definition

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.niˈmal/

Noun

animal (plural animales)

1. animal

Kabuverdianu animal definition

Etymology

From Portuguese animal.

Noun

animal

1. beast
2. animal

Kapampangan animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish animal.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ənɪˈmal/, [ə.nɪˈmäl]
• Hyphenation: a‧ni‧mal

Noun

animal

1. animal

   Synonym: ayup

Latin animal definition

Etymology

From animāle, nominative neuter singular of animālis.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ni.mal/, [ˈänɪmäɫ̪]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ni.mal/, [ˈäːnimäl]

Noun

animal n (genitive animālis); third declension

1. animal
2. living creature

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, “pure” i-stem).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	animal	animālia
Genitive	animālis	animālium
Dative	animālī	animālibus
Accusative	animal	animālia
Ablative	animālī	animālibus
Vocative	animal	animālia

Synonyms

• bestia

Related terms

Descendants

References

• “animal”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “animal”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• animal in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• animal in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • animate and inanimate nature: animata (animalia) inanimaque (not inanimata)
    
  • domestic animals: animalia quae nobiscum degunt (Plin. 8. 40)
    

Middle English animal definition

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aniˈmaːl/, /aˈnimal/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old French animal, from Latin animal.

Alternative forms

• animale

Noun

animal (plural animales)

1. An animal (considered to include humans)

Descendants

• English: animal
• Scots: ainimal

References

• “animāl, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-01-16.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin animālis.

Alternative forms

• animale, animall, anymal, anymall

Adjective

animal

1. Related to the soul or spirit of a living being (i.e. sentience or sapience)

Descendants

• English: animal

References

• “animāl, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-01-16.

Middle French animal definition

Noun

animal m (plural animaux or animaulx)

1. animal

   Synonym: beste

Papiamentu animal definition

Etymology

From Portuguese animal and Spanish animal.

Noun

animal

1. beast
2. animal

Portuguese animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin animal. Doublet of alimária.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: a‧ni‧mal

Adjective

animal m or f (plural animais, comparable, comparative mais animal, superlative o mais animal or animalíssimo)

1. (biology) animal (relating to animals)
   • 2000, Julio S. Inglez de Sousa et al., Enciclopédia agrícola brasileira: E-H, Editora da Universidade de São Paulo, page 225:

     Em anatomia animal o termo é de uso muito comum, […]

     The term is very commonly used in animal anatomy, […]

2. (derogatory, of a person) brute (senseless, unreasoning)
3. (Brazil, colloquial) cool; awesome
   • 2015, Juliana Rosenthal K., Save the Day, Buqui, page 52:

     É, tava animal mesmo — Bia mal consegue falar.

     Yeah, it really was wild — Bia can barely speak.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:animal.

Noun

animal m (plural animais)

1. (biology) animal (any member of the kingdom Animalia)
   • 2020, Petrônio Braz, Léxico dos Gerais, Chiado Books, page 481:

     Primatas — Animais mamíferos, da ordem Primata, que compreende os macacos, antropóides e o homem.

     Primates — Mammalian animals, of the order Primata, which comprises monkeys/apes, anthropoids and man.

2. (non-scientific usage) animal (an animal other than a human, especially a vertebrate)
   • Daniela Ikawa, Valor humano intrínseco e redistribuição social in 2007, Flávia Piovesan, Daniela Ikawa, Direitos Humanos: Fundamento, Proteção e Implementação, volume 2, Juruá Editora, page 44:

     Separar os dois grupos — humanos e animais requereria, dentro dos limites da teoria relativa à dor e ao sofrimento, […]

     Separating the twe groups — humans and animals would require, within the limits of the theory relating to pain and suffering, […]

   Synonyms: besta, bicho

3. (colloquial) twat; idiot; moron
   • 1979, Wilson Bacelar de Oliveira, Os meus fantasmas, Editora Comunicação, page 490:

     Escute aqui, seu animal, então você brigou com o companheiro?

     Listen up, you dumbass, so you fought with [your] mate?

   Synonyms: idiota, retardado, burro, imbecil, débil mental, besta

4. (colloquial) beast (a cruel person)
   • 2007, Creso Balduíno, O verso do ser, Editora Revan, page 170:

     Josuel é um animal repulsivo, uma besta humana.

     Josuel is a repulsive beast, a human beast.

   Synonym: monstro

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:animal.

Derived terms

• animal de estimação
• animalizar
• animalzão (augmentative)
• animalzinho (diminutive)

Romanian animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from French animal, from Latin animal. Doublet of nămaie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.niˈmal/

Adjective

animal m or n (feminine singular animală, masculine plural animali, feminine and neuter plural animale)

1. animal, animalistic
2. brutal

Declension

Adverb

animal

1. brutally

Noun

animal n (plural animale)

1. animal

Declension

Romansch animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin animal.

Noun

animal m (plural animals)

1. (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Vallader) animal

Synonyms

• (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Surmiran) biestg
• (Rumantsch Grischun, Sutsilvan) bestga
• (Sursilvan) tier, bestia
• (Puter, Vallader) bes-cha

Spanish animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin animal. See also alimaña, an inherited doublet.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aniˈmal/ [a.niˈmal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: a‧ni‧mal

Adjective

animal m or f (masculine and feminine plural animales)

1. animal

Noun

animal m (plural animales)

1. animal

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

• “animal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Anagrams

• lámina
• lamina

Tagalog animal definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish animal.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: a‧ni‧mal
• IPA^(key): /ʔaniˈmal/, [ʔɐ.nɪˈmal]

Noun

animál

1. beast; brute; creature

   Synonyms: halimaw, hayop

2. (derogatory) brutish person; inhuman person

   Synonyms: hayop, bruto, bestiya

Derived terms

Tok Pisin animal definition

Etymology

From English animal.

Noun

animal

1. animal (members of Kingdom Animalia that are not humans)

   Synonym: abus

   • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 1:25:

     God i kamapim ol kain kain animal bilong ples na ol bikpela na liklik animal bilong bus. God i lukim olgeta dispela samting i gutpela, na em i amamas.

     →New International Version translation