animal
noun
Animal — a living thing defined by its power to move of its own will
Definition
A living organism characterized by voluntary movement
In depth
An animal is a living organism distinguished, at the most basic level, by voluntary movement — the capacity to act, pursue, flee, and respond, setting it apart from the rooted stillness of plants. The word spans the dazzling range of life from sponge to whale, united only by this shared capacity for self-directed motion.
Origin
The word derives from Latin animalis, having breath or soul, built on anima, breath, the same root behind 'animate' and 'animation.' Its ancient sense of breath-bearing life persists quietly even in modern biological taxonomy, a reminder that the category long predates any scientific system for organizing it.
Usage examples
"The naturalist could identify any animal in the forest by sound alone, long before it came into view."
"There is something animal in grief, she thought, a need to pace, to move, to not sit still with it."
"He had always envied the animal certainty with which his dog moved through the world, untroubled by doubt."
How to use it
Animal is endlessly useful, ranging from neutral biological classification to a charged, sometimes pejorative descriptor of human behavior considered base or instinctual. Writers should be attentive to this second, value-laden use, which can carry real moral weight depending on context.
Related concepts
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