adjective
anthropomorphic
an-thruh-puh-MOR-fik
Anthropomorphic (adjective) means Given human form, behaviour or personality, said especially of animals, objects or characters in art and stories. Example: “The film is full of anthropomorphic animals who wear waistcoats and argue about rent.”
adjective
1
Given human form, behaviour or personality, said especially of animals, objects or characters in art and stories.
"The film is full of anthropomorphic animals who wear waistcoats and argue about rent."
"An anthropomorphic teapot with a painted face sat on the shelf."
2
Describing the tendency to attribute human thoughts, feelings or motives to animals, gods or natural forces.
"Saying the storm was angry is an anthropomorphic way of describing bad weather."
"Critics accused the study of anthropomorphic bias in how it read the dogs' expressions."
How to use anthropomorphic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishGiven human shape or human behaviour.
When to use it
Neutral to formal. Common in literary criticism, animation, biology and anthropology.
Memory tip
Anthropocentric means treating humans as the centre of importance — a different idea from giving human form to things.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
anthropomorphic / zoomorphic
anthropomorphic / anthropocentric
Common pairings
anthropomorphic animals
anthropomorphic figure
anthropomorphic design
anthropomorphic bias
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The film is full of _____ animals who wear waistcoats and argue about rent.
Etymology
From Greek anthrōpos 'human being' + morphē 'form, shape'.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between anthropomorphic and personification?
Personification is a figure of speech — briefly describing something non-human as if it had human qualities, as in 'the wind whispered'. Anthropomorphism goes further: the thing genuinely is human-like within the work, walking, talking and thinking, as with the animals in Wind in the Willows.
What is the difference between anthropomorphic and zoomorphic?
They run in opposite directions. Anthropomorphic gives human traits to something non-human. Zoomorphic gives animal traits to something else, including to humans or gods — an Egyptian deity with a jackal's head is zoomorphic.
Is anthropomorphism a problem in science?
It can be. Reading human motives into animal behaviour risks explaining an action by a feeling that was never demonstrated. Researchers therefore describe what an animal does before saying anything about why.
What is the meaning of anthropomorphic?
"anthropomorphic" (adjective) means given human form, behaviour or personality, said especially of animals, objects or characters in art and stories.
