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Added 8 October 2026

inanimate

/ɪnˈænɪmət/ adjective

In Latin: inanimus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about inanimate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Belonging to the class of nouns denoting nonliving things.
the word `car' is inanimate
Not endowed with life.
the inorganic world is inanimate
Appearing dead; not breathing or having no perceptible pulse.
an inanimate body

Origin

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).

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

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