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Glite Dictionary
🧬 Related to evolution 🧬 A supporter of evolution
Darwinian

Darwinian

2 7.2
A person who supports the idea that living things change over time by natural selection
  • noun
  • /ˌdɑrˈwɪniən/
translation icon : darwinista
  • The Darwinians argue that adaptability is key for survival in changing environments.

I am an enthusiastic Darwinian, but I think Darwinism is too big a theory to be confined to the narrow context of the gene.

Examples

  • The struggle for renewable energy firms will be even more Darwinian when subsidies and incentives subside.

    Blog text (20)

  • I am an enthusiastic Darwinian, but I think Darwinism is too big a theory to be confined to the narrow context of the gene.

    Gregory B. Sadler - That Philosophy Guy

  • The competition just got more fierce, and it will be Darwinian in nature.

    Blog text (29)

  • How can we tell that nature is Darwinian, rather than shaped by some other set of evolutionary forces?

    Academic text (1995)

  • Because Darwinians focus on function, they typically favor the latter.

    Academic text (1990)

  • In the United States, there are many more creationists than Darwinians.

    Academic text (2009)

  • In any case, Gulick's conclusions drew a storm of protest from Darwinians.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Darwinians tended to see human beings as biological organisms and the human mind as only one of its many organs.

    Academic text (2017)

  • To the extent it existed, cooperation for Darwinians was not based on any rational theory of exchange but rather on the evolution of survival mechanisms.

    Academic text (2017)

  • In the debate about evolution, she identifies herself as a Darwinian, firmly supporting natural selection.

Synonyms

evolutionist
vsDarwinian
14 5.3

A person who believes that living things change over a long time

is specific to natural selection rather than evolution in general
Darwinist
vsDarwinian
7 6.0

A person who believes species change over time by natural selection

has identical meaning but uses the '-ian' ending instead of '-ist'
transformationist
vsDarwinian
8.5

A person who believes kinds of animals and plants change slowly over time

focuses on selection as the driving mechanism, not just gradual change
adaptationist
vsDarwinian
  • Specialized
7.9

A person who says traits or behaviors developed to help survival and reproduction

emphasizes acceptance of natural selection as the general evolutionary explanation

Surface Forms

Darwinian singular
Darwinians plural

Morphology

Darwinian = Darwin (transparent) = Darwin + ian

Formed by the proper name 'Darwin' plus the productive suffix '-ian' meaning 'relating to' or 'follower of', which is clear to learners.

Etymology

Darwinian comes from the name Darwin, as in Charles Darwin, the scientist who showed that species change by 'natural selection', where nature 'selects' traits that help survival. So a Darwinian is a person who supports those ideas.