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Glite Dictionary
neo-evolutionism

neo-evolutionism

9.9
A way of studying how unrelated cultures change in similar ways over time
  • noun
  • /ˌniːoʊˌɛvəˈluːʃənɪzəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : neoevolucionismo
  • Neo-evolutionism examines how similar cultural developments may emerge independently in societies across the globe.

Examples

  • Many anthropologists in the mid-20th century adopted neo-evolutionism to explain parallel cultural advancements.

  • A major criticism of neo-evolutionism is its reliance on broad generalizations about human societies.

  • The concept of neo-evolutionism is fascinating.

  • Many scholars study neo-evolutionism today.

  • Neo-evolutionism helps researchers understand how different cultures can develop similar practices independently over time.

  • Through neo-evolutionism, anthropologists analyze long-term cultural changes and their parallels across diverse societies.

  • The study of neo-evolutionism highlights the importance of examining cultural evolution in various communities worldwide.

Synonyms

neoevolutionism
vsneo-evolutionism
  • Archaic
9.9

A way of studying how different societies change in similar ways over a long time

is written with a hyphen while meaning stays identical

Surface Forms

neo-evolutionism singular
neo-evolutionisms plural

Morphology

neo-evolutionism = evolutionism (semi-transparent) = neo + evolution + ism

The structure 'neo-' + 'evolutionism' clearly means a new form of evolutionism, but the term is specialized and may be unfamiliar to average learners.

Etymology

Neo-evolutionism comes from neo- meaning 'new' and evolution meaning 'gradual change', the same idea as in the word evolve. So Neo-evolutionism is a 'new' way of looking at long-term cultural change and similar developments in different societies.