# animal

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæn.ᵻ.məl/ · frequency rank #1,623

## Definitions
1. Any member of the kingdom Animalia of multicellular organisms that are usually mobile, whose cells are not encased in a rigid cell wall (distinguishing them from plants and fungi) and which derive energy solely from the consumption of other organisms (further distinguishing them from plants).
2. Any member of the kingdom Animalia other than a human.
3. A higher animal; an animal related to humans.
4. A higher animal; an animal related to humans.
5. A higher animal; an animal related to humans.
6. A higher animal; an animal related to humans.
7. A person who behaves wildly; a bestial, brutal, brutish, cruel, or inhuman person.
8. A person of a particular type specified by an adjective.
9. Matter, thing.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁-
Proto-Indo-European *-mos
Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos
Proto-Italic *anamos
Latin animus
Latin anima
Proto-Italic *-ālis
Latin -ālis
Latin animālis
Latin animalder.
Old French animalbor.
Middle English animal
English animal
From Middle English animal, from Old French animal, from Latin animal, a nominal use of the adjective form animāle, neuter of animālis, from anima (“breath, spirit”). Displaced native Middle English deor, der (“animal”) (whence modern English deer; from Old English dēor (“animal”)), Middle English reother (“animal, neat”) (whence modern English rother; from Old English hrīþer, hrȳþer (“neat, ox”)).

## Easily confused with
- **Anita** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/animal-vs-anita)
- **axial** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/animal-vs-axial)
- **annual** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/animal-vs-annual)
- **apical** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/animal-vs-apical)
- **animus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/animal-vs-animus)
- **animals** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/animal-vs-animals)
- **anomaly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/animal-vs-anomaly)
- **animate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/animal-vs-animate)
- **anal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/anal-vs-animal)
- **anil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/anil-vs-animal)
- **Amal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/amal-vs-animal)
- **anima** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/anima-vs-animal)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ainmal`, `aniaml`, `animall`, `animla`, `animmal`, `anmial`, `annimal`, `naimal`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/animal