MEANING
The view that humans are central or most important, with other things judged mainly through human concerns.
Use it for
questioning the assumption that the universe centers on humanity; discussing a nonhuman perspective without treating it as a failed human one; contrasting human priorities with a wider world; analyzing why cosmic indifference unsettles a narratorNames the assumption of human centrality that cosmic horror often unsettles, rather than merely calling something alien. Writing functions: Cosmic Horror fallback.
Words that belong together
- challenge anthropocentrism
- anthropocentrism in environmental ethics
- a critique of anthropocentrism
On the page
The novel challenges anthropocentrism by refusing to translate the visitors’ purposes into human motives.
The abandoned city unsettled her anthropocentrism: nothing that lived there now required a human witness.
Word forms
- Base
- anthropocentrism
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Uncountable abstract noun: anthropocentrism. Anthropocentric is the related adjective, not an inflection of this noun. Use human-centered assumptions for a plainer alternative when the technical label is unnecessary. Register: formal. Commonness: uncommon; used in environmental and critical discussion (dictionary-informed qualitative editorial estimate; not a measured frequency).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.