anthropomorphism

Definition

The attribution of human characteristics and behavior to something nonhuman.

Etymology

Coined in the mid-1700s. From Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “man, human”) and μορφή (morphḗ, “form, shape”). By surface analysis, anthropo- + -morphism.

Example Sentences

• "Literature is full of examples of anthropomorphism, especially in children’s stories, from The Wind in the Willows to Watership Down."

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