anthropomorphism
/ˌænθɹəpəˈmɔɹfɪzəm/ noun
Forms anthropomorphisms
- noun The ascribing of human characteristics and behaviors to nonhuman entities.
- noun (theology) The ascribing of human characteristics and behaviors to divine nonhuman entities.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Coined in the mid-1700s. From Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “man, human”) and μορφή (morphḗ, “form, shape”). By surface analysis, anthropo- + -morphism.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The representation of the Deity, or of a polytheistic deity, under a human form, or with human attributes and affections.
- noun The ascription of human characteristics to things not human.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “anthropomorphism”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details