Darwinian

[ dahr-win-ee-uhn ]

adjective

1. (sometimes lowercase) pertaining to Charles Darwin or his doctrines.

noun

1. a follower of Charles Darwin; a person who accepts or advocates Darwinism.

Darwinian

/ dɑːˈwɪnɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Charles Darwin or his theory of evolution by natural selection

noun

1. a person who accepts, supports, or uses this theory

Other Words From

• anti-Dar·wini·an noun adjective
• non-Dar·wini·an adjective noun
• post-Dar·wini·an adjective
• pre-Dar·wini·an adjective
• pro-Dar·wini·an adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Darwinian¹

First recorded in 1855–60; Darwin + -ian

Example Sentences

He has warned that European carmakers are in a "Darwinian" struggle with their Chinese rivals, something that is likely to have social consequences as they pare back costs in an effort to compete.

From BBC

That's because, simply put from a Darwinian perspective of how we have evolved, it's better to overcount potentially harmful agents and predators than to underestimate them.

From Science Daily

Scientists in the 1960s, including Salk Fellow Leslie Orgel, proposed that life began with the "RNA World," a hypothetical era in which small, stringy RNA molecules ruled the early Earth and established the dynamics of Darwinian evolution.

From Science Daily

"This study suggests the dawn of evolution could have been very early and very simple. Something at the level of individual molecules could sustain Darwinian evolution, and that might have been the spark that allowed life to become more complex, going from molecules to cells to multicellular organisms."

From Science Daily

"If our conjecture that communication between nymphs plays a role in swarm emergence is confirmed, it would provide a striking example of how Darwinian evolution can act for the benefit of the group, not just the individual," said Goldstein.

From Science Daily