1. a person who believes in vitalism, the theory that living organisms are fundamentally different from non-living matter because they contain a non-physical element or are governed by different principles than inanimate things
Usage: philosophy; biology

1. relating to or characteristic of vitalism or vitalists
Usage: philosophy; biology

Examples

• The vitalist argued that life could not be explained purely through chemistry and physics.
• Many 19th-century biologists were vitalists who believed in a special life force.
• The vitalist theory was gradually replaced by mechanistic explanations in modern biology.
• She took a vitalist approach to understanding consciousness and the mind.
• The debate between vitalist and mechanist philosophers continued for decades.
• His vitalist beliefs influenced his research into the nature of living systems.