animality

[ an-uh-mal-i-tee ]

noun

1. the state of being an animal.
2. the animal nature or instincts of human beings.
3. animal kingdom.

animality

/ ˌænɪˈmælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the animal side of man, as opposed to the intellectual or spiritual
2. the fact of being or having the characteristics of an animal

Other Words From

• nonan·i·mali·ty noun
• super·ani·mali·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of animality¹

1605–15; animal + -ity, modeled on carnality ( def )

Example Sentences

The movement for “Afternoon of a Faun” alludes to the two-dimensional choreography of Nijinsky’s dance to that Debussy piece, a nod to a predecessor of Naharin’s stylized animality.

From New York Times

The film, a Times critic’s pick, is a “wild, boldly expressionistic movie” that conveys his animality and un-knowableness.

From New York Times

“Wolf Play” suggests there’s an animality connecting us that transcends gendered social scripts; kinship and love are wild and don’t play by any rules.

From New York Times

The latter fragrance, in a smooth-contoured bottle, was a blend of pure musk and animality, primal as the fossilized DNA of our species preserved in amber.

From New York Times

He believed “a being who is ashamed of his animality in that very fact proves himself to be more than a mere animal”.

From The Guardian