inanimate
inanimate Lexical Profile
inanimate Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not alive; lacking biological life, consciousness, or the capacity for growth and movement, especially in the manner of animals and humans.
"Young children often attribute human feelings and intentions to inanimate objects like dolls and stuffed toys."
Showing no sign of life, vigor, or animation; dull and spiritless.
"After working three consecutive night shifts, his face remained completely inanimate during the morning briefing."
In linguistics, denoting a grammatical gender or noun class that refers to nonliving things, plants, or abstract concepts rather than humans or animals.
"In Russian grammar, the accusative case of an inanimate masculine noun is identical to its nominative form."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Late Latin inanimatus ('lifeless'), formed from the privative prefix in- ('not') and animatus, the past participle of animare ('to give life to'), ultimately from Latin anima ('breath, soul, life').