Meaning & use

inanimate object

noun·Academic

A thing that does not live, move on its own, or have consciousness, such as a rock or a chair.

See it in a sentence

The toddler talked to her stuffed bear as if the inanimate object could hear her.

Lightning struck the old fence post, a harmless inanimate object standing in the field.

A note on using this word

Inanimate contrasts with animate, which describes living beings capable of independent movement or growth.

Words with a similar meaning

lifeless object

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

living thing

Make it your own

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