Darwinian
adjective
Dar·win·i·an
där-ˈwi-nē-ən 
1
: of or relating to Charles Darwin, his theories especially of evolution, or his followers
2
: of, relating to, or being a competitive environment or situation in which only the fittest persons or organizations prosper
Darwinian
noun
Examples of Darwinian in a Sentence
a Darwinian approach to evolution
The competition among manufacturers is very Darwinian.
the Darwinian world of professional sports
Recent Examples on the Web
The return to startups' 'Darwinian struggle' to survive comes as founders and workers face multiple pressures to put in long hours with few days off.
—
Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2025
Darwin Still Wins These same Darwinian evolutionary principles would likely also hold up on exoplanets, says Bryson.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
There are other types of fitness—mental, Darwinian—that present the opportunity for more tests.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2025
The reporter asked if that could have a reverse Darwinian effect: transforming humans into simians.
—Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2025
But today’s moguls face a scrambled world, with YouTube eating television, media companies in Trump’s crosshairs, and a Darwinian competition for the last appointment-viewing content — sports.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 10 July 2025
The second step would be making that group capable of Darwinian evolution.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025
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Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2025
Darwin Still Wins These same Darwinian evolutionary principles would likely also hold up on exoplanets, says Bryson.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
There are other types of fitness—mental, Darwinian—that present the opportunity for more tests.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2025
The reporter asked if that could have a reverse Darwinian effect: transforming humans into simians.
—Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2025
But today’s moguls face a scrambled world, with YouTube eating television, media companies in Trump’s crosshairs, and a Darwinian competition for the last appointment-viewing content — sports.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 10 July 2025
The second step would be making that group capable of Darwinian evolution.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Darwinian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Darwinian. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
Darwinian
adjective
Dar·win·ian
där-ˈwin-ē-ən
: of or relating to Charles Darwin, his theories especially of evolution, or his followers
Darwinian
noun
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