Navigation
Home
Resources
Irregular verbs quizzes English conjugator English-French dictionary French dictionary English dictionary Monolingual dictionaries Scores by institution Free sample tests FAQ Pricing Tourism training Blog Videos
Login Sign up
Blog
Videos
Pricing
FR EN

inanimate

adj, noun, verb — 5 senses

inanimate

adj

UK /ɪnˈænɪmət/

Etymology Inherited from Middle English inanimat(e), from Late Latin inanimātus, from Latin in- + animātus (“animated”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix). By surface analysis, in- + animate. The noun was derived by substantivization from the adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix).

1

Lacking the quality or ability of motion; as an inanimate object.

  • The love of the inanimate is a general feeling. True, it makes no return of affection, neither does it disappoint it; its associations are from our thoughts and emotions.1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XV, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 172:
  • Retired when her position was dissolved due to advances in inanimate automation.(Can we date this quote?), Toontown: Corporate Clash Development Team, Manager Profile of the Mouthpiece:
2

Not alive, and never having been alive, especially not like humans and animals.

  • I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body.1818, Mary Shelley, chapter 5, in Frankenstein, archived from the original on 31 Oct 2011:
3

Grammar, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences Not animate.

Derived terms
inanimacy, inanimately, inanimateness, inanimation
Related terms
deanimate

inanimate

noun

Etymology Inherited from Middle English inanimat(e), from Late Latin inanimātus, from Latin in- + animātus (“animated”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix). By surface analysis, in- + animate. The noun was derived by substantivization from the adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix).

1

Rare Something that is not alive.

inanimate

verb

/ɪnˈænɪmeɪt/

Etymology Borrowed from Latin inanimātus, the perfect passive participle of inanimō (“to animate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from in- (“in, into”) + animō (“to animate”); by surface analysis, in- + animate.

1

Obsolete To animate.

  • For there's a kind of world remaining still, Though shee which did inanimate and fill1621, John Donne, An Anatomy of the World: The First Anniversary:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.