Darwinian
adjective
Dar·win·i·an
där-ˈwi-nē-ən 
1
: of or relating to Charles Darwin, his theories especially of evolution, or his followers
2
: of, relating to, or being a competitive environment or situation in which only the fittest persons or organizations prosper
Darwinian
noun
Examples of Darwinian in a Sentence
a Darwinian approach to evolution
The competition among manufacturers is very Darwinian.
the Darwinian world of professional sports
Recent Examples on the Web
At the heart of this Darwinian joke, Williams experiences deep ambivalence.
—
Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2025
Multiple paths and a Darwinian battle involving creative ideas and novel AI approaches would seem a more prudent route.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
An anthropologist and primatologist, Hrdy had long taken the entrenched Darwinian view that men belonged in the boardroom or the brothel more than in the nursery.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
We’re pulled, in Headland’s telling, by a weird mix of mythological pressure, Darwinian logic, residual altruism, childhood regression and (most importantly) raw personal need.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
While different religions and ancient cultures had described the planet as animate for eons, Lovelock’s contemporaries in the scientific community were more apt to shun this notion, preferring a Darwinian stance that species adapted to their environments, but not vice versa.
—Joe Spring, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024
People are engaged in a Darwinian struggle for survival.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 2 Dec. 2024
Comebacks are not easy in the Darwinian art world, but Juliano-Villani has become an expert in rehab.
—Jay Bulger, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024
Much like Darwinian theory, organizations that don’t adapt are likely to go extinct.
—Quid Contributor, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
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Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2025
Multiple paths and a Darwinian battle involving creative ideas and novel AI approaches would seem a more prudent route.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
An anthropologist and primatologist, Hrdy had long taken the entrenched Darwinian view that men belonged in the boardroom or the brothel more than in the nursery.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
We’re pulled, in Headland’s telling, by a weird mix of mythological pressure, Darwinian logic, residual altruism, childhood regression and (most importantly) raw personal need.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
While different religions and ancient cultures had described the planet as animate for eons, Lovelock’s contemporaries in the scientific community were more apt to shun this notion, preferring a Darwinian stance that species adapted to their environments, but not vice versa.
—Joe Spring, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024
People are engaged in a Darwinian struggle for survival.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 2 Dec. 2024
Comebacks are not easy in the Darwinian art world, but Juliano-Villani has become an expert in rehab.
—Jay Bulger, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024
Much like Darwinian theory, organizations that don’t adapt are likely to go extinct.
—Quid Contributor, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near Darwinian
Cite this Entry
“Darwinian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Darwinian. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
Darwinian
adjective
Dar·win·ian
där-ˈwin-ē-ən
: of or relating to Charles Darwin, his theories especially of evolution, or his followers
Darwinian
noun
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