inanimate

Inanimate describes objects that are not alive and do not possess life processes such as growth, metabolism, or reproduction. Inanimate things do not act with intentional movement or consciousness; any motion or change they undergo is produced by external forces or devices. They are contrasted with animate beings, which include humans, animals, and plants.

Etymology and usage: the term comes from Latin inanimatus, formed from in- “not” and anima “soul” or “life.” In English it has long been used to classify matter and objects as lifeless, and it is commonly applied in science, philosophy, and everyday language.

Science and philosophy: inanimate is a functional distinction used across disciplines to separate living systems from non-living matter. It is not identical to “inorganic,” though many inanimate objects are inorganic. Some phenomena and entities can move or respond due to energy input or external forces yet remain inanimate, such as machines, vehicles, or weather phenomena. Philosophical discussions sometimes examine the boundary between animate and inanimate in debates about life, consciousness, and agency, and linguistics uses the concept of animacy as a grammatical or cognitive category.

Examples: rocks, water, furniture, tools, and other non-living objects are described as inanimate. By contrast, animals, plants, and people are animate. Edge cases—such as fire, crystals, or programs running on a computer—illustrate that motion or apparent vitality does not by itself imply life.