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Glite Dictionary
neoevolutionism

neoevolutionism

9.9
A way of studying how different societies change in similar ways over a long time
  • noun
  • /ˌniːoʊˌɛvəˈluːʃənɪzəm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : neoevolucionismo
  • The theory of neoevolutionism explains cultural changes over millennia.

Examples

  • The idea of multilinear evolution is a central concept in neoevolutionism.

  • Many anthropologists of the 20th century were influenced by neoevolutionism in their analyses of cultures.

  • Debates about neoevolutionism often focus on the universality of cultural development.

  • Many anthropologists study neoevolutionism to understand societal development.

  • Many anthropologists study neoevolutionism to explore how different societies develop similarly over time.

  • The principles of neoevolutionism are crucial for understanding long-term cultural shifts in various societies.

  • In her research, she applied neoevolutionism to analyze the cultural transformations of ancient civilizations.

Synonyms

neo-evolutionism
vsneoevolutionism
  • Specialized
9.9

A way of studying how unrelated cultures change in similar ways over time

is written without a hyphen but keeps identical meaning

Surface Forms

neoevolutionism singular
neoevolutionisms plural

Morphology

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

The word is formed by adding 'neo-' to 'evolutionism', but the sense is a specialized academic term rather than a fully everyday meaning.

Etymology

Neoevolutionism joins neo- 'new', evolution 'slow change', and -ism 'a belief or theory'. So it means a 'new theory of long-term cultural change', which is why the word names a school of anthropology that studies how societies change slowly and why similar development shows up in different places.