animalia

plural noun

an·​i·​ma·​lia

ˌanəˈmālyə,

-lēə

often capitalized

: that one of the basic groups of living things that comprises either all the animals or all the multicellular animals compare animal kingdom, plantae, protista

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, plural of animal

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!