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Added 8 October 2026

animate

/ˈæn.ɪ.mət/ adjective

In Latin: animālis, animāns, vīvus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about animate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

That lives.
That has (or is believed to have) a spirit (anima) and/or some amount of consciousness and sentience, either being alive or supernaturally seeming alive.
Possessing the quality or ability of motion.

verb

To impart motion or the appearance of motion to.
leaves animated by a stiff breeze
To give spirit or vigour to; to stimulate or enliven; to inspirit.

Origin

From Middle English animat(e), from Latin animātus, perfect passive participle of animō (“to fill with breath, quicken, encourage, animate”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from anima (“soul, spirit, breath”); see anima. The verb derives from the adjective, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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