Darwinism

[dahr-wuh-niz-uh m] /ˈdɑr wəˌnɪz əm/
noun
1.
the Darwinian theory that species originate by descent, with variation, from parent forms, through the natural selection of those individuals best adapted for the reproductive success of their kind.
Origin
1855-60; Darwin + -ism
Related forms
Darwinist, Darwinite
[dahr-wuh-nahyt] /ˈdɑr wəˌnaɪt/ (Show IPA), noun, adjective
Darwinistic, adjective
anti-Darwinism, noun
anti-Darwinist, noun, adjective
pro-Darwinism, noun
Examples from the web for Darwinism
  • In his final years stove began to examine and criticize Darwinism.
British Dictionary definitions for Darwinism

Darwinism

/ˈdɑːwɪˌnɪzəm/
noun
1.
the theory of the origin of animal and plant species by evolution through a process of natural selection Compare Lamarckism See also Neo-Darwinism
Derived Forms
Darwinist, Darwinite, noun, adjective
Darwinistic, adjective
Word Origin and History for Darwinism
n.

1864, from Charles Darwin (1809-1882), whose major works were "The Origin of Species" (1859) and "The Descent of Man" (1871), + -ism.

Darwinism in Medicine

Darwinism Dar·win·ism (där'wĭ-nĭz'əm)
n.
A theory of biological evolution developed by Charles Darwin and others, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.

Darwinism in Science
Darwinism
  (där'wĭ-nĭz'əm)   
A theory of biological evolution developed by Charles Darwin and others, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce. Darwin's ideas have been refined and modified by subsequent researchers, but his theories still form the foundation of the scientific understanding of the evolution of life. Darwinism is often contrasted with another theory of biological evolution called Lamarckism, based on the now-discredited ideas of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. See Note at evolution.