as in brutality
the manifestation of the traits or the gratification of the appetites of a lower animal
without law and order, society would quickly devolve into a state of animalism
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Recent Examples of animalism
Hope is something that Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri can related to, having explored the dualities of hope and despair (as well as lightness and darkness, and fluidity and animalism) in her spring 2023 collection.
—
Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 22 Jan. 2025
All of a sudden, that animalism has been incarnated.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
But what Cameron represents to Harper is unfettered animalism, and that’s part of what’s missing in her relationship with Ethan.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2022
The Seven Commandments (Revised) of Orwellian Animalism:
This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links.
—John Brownlee, WIRED, 15 Jan. 2007
Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 22 Jan. 2025
All of a sudden, that animalism has been incarnated.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
But what Cameron represents to Harper is unfettered animalism, and that’s part of what’s missing in her relationship with Ethan.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2022
The Seven Commandments (Revised) of Orwellian Animalism:
This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links.
—John Brownlee, WIRED, 15 Jan. 2007
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animalism
Noun
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Based on Otessa Moshfegh’s novel about women driven to extremes by life in a small town, Thomasin McKenzie stars as the titular gruff clerk at a boys prison, physically and mentally stuck in a reality inextricable from male brutality.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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Here, Creasy’s brutality is framed as a positive.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In other words, humans can act against the animal component of their nature and manifest their humanity by rejecting their animality.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Nov. 2025
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This strangeness causes all sorts of internal agitation, an uneasiness about humanity’s closeness to animality.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Initially, the couple was arrested on charges of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree unlawful restraint, intentional cruelty to persons, risk of injury to a minor and conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a minor.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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There was a particular cruelty in having lived with her hearing for 28 years before losing it.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Animalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animalism. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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