Animalia

[ an-uh-mey-lee-uh, -meyl-yuh ]

noun

, (used with a singular or plural verb)

1. the taxonomic kingdom comprising all animals, including humans.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Animalia¹

First recorded in 1800–05; from New Latin, Latin: plural of animal “living being, animal, beast,” animal

Example Sentences

Sparkle pony or not, this year proved that even with lavish accommodations like RVs and power drops, Burning Man is a bestial experience — which is apropos considering the theme this year was “Animalia.”

From Los Angeles Times

This article is part of Animalia, a column exploring the strange and fascinating world of animals and the ways in which we appreciate, imperil and depend on them.

From Washington Post

Beavers, after all, are some of Animalia’s most unruly members: they compel rivers to overflow, transform single-channel streams into braided ones and ingeniously sabotage our precious infrastructure.

From Scientific American

A longtime animal rights activist and vegan, she turned her attention to a new project: Flora Animalia, an urban garden where she hosts educational food workshops and crafting seminars.

From New York Times

Although that might not seem so extraordinary from your privileged position in Kingdom Animalia, this multicellular microbe is not an animal.

From Scientific American

More About Animalia

What is Animalia?

Animalia is the scientific grouping that includes all animals.

Scientists, historians, and others classify similar things together, using a taxonomy, in order to study them and describe them. In biology, the top category is the domain, followed by the kingdom, phylum, class, and several other categories. Animalia is the kingdom that contains all animals, including humans.

Example: Mammals are among the dominant members of the Animalia kingdom.

Where does Animalia come from?

The first records of the term Animalia being used in English come from around 1800. It is the plural of the Latin term animal, meaning “living being, animal, or beast.” The sciences often use Latin terms for the names of things.

Animalia is a kingdom within the Eukaryota domain. Eukaryota kingdoms also include Plantae (for plants), Fungi (for mushrooms and other fungi), and Protista (for protists, a type of one-celled organism). All members of the Eukaryota domain, including those in the Animalia kingdom, have cells that contain specific organelles and certain types of chromosomes. Animalia includes almost all life that is not a plant, fungi, or microorganism.

Did you know … ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with animalia? 

• animal
• animalism
• animalistic
• animal kingdom

What are some words that often get used in discussing animalia?

• animal
• kingdom
• classify
• taxonomy

How is Animalia used in real life?

Animalia is almost always used in scientific contexts.

This week's Animalia stories: Rhino named Hope dies. Male moose freeze while fighting. Female panther leaves her home to save her species.

— Sarah Kaplan (@sarahkaplan48) November 18, 2016

‘Systema Naturae’, the foundational text of modern zoology written in the mid-18th century by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, had a section with mythical creatures called ‘Animalia Paradoxa’. Apart from hydrae, dragons, and sirens, it also included pelicans and antelopes.

— Quite Interesting (@qikipedia) June 10, 2020

Happy World Animal Day, Kingdoom Animalia!

Except for arachnids.

— VAXIST STEMLORD (@upulie) October 5, 2014

Try using Animalia!

True or False?

Animalia is the genus that contains all animals.