Meaning & use
vivisections
Last updated
“vivisections” is a form of “vivisection”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
Operations performed on live animals for scientific or medical research, especially when seen as cruel.
Grammar: Countable here: one operation is a vivisection; the plural vivisections refers to several such operations.
Patterns
- carry out vivisections
- oppose vivisections
- vivisections on animals
The protesters claimed that vivisections were still taking place in the laboratory.
Many people object to vivisections because they cause suffering to animals.
The law banned vivisections on great apes.
noununcountable
The practice or activity of cutting into live animals for research, considered as a whole.
Grammar: Uncountable when talking about the general practice: Vivisection is a controversial issue.
Patterns
- oppose vivisection
- ban vivisection
- the ethics of vivisection
Vivisection has been debated for more than a century.
Some scientists argue that vivisection is necessary for medical progress.
Her book examines the history of vivisection in Europe.
Word forms
| singular | vivisection |
|---|
Common combinations
- oppose vivisection
- Animal rights groups strongly oppose vivisection.
- ban vivisection
- Several countries have moved to ban vivisection.
- vivisection experiments
- The university stopped its vivisection experiments last year.
- the case against vivisection
- She wrote a famous essay on the case against vivisection.
Synonyms and how they differ
- animal testing
- Animal testing is the neutral, everyday term for using animals in experiments; vivisection is more specific and often critical.
- animal experimentation
- This is a formal, neutral term similar to animal testing; vivisection emphasizes cutting into live animals.
Word family
- vivisect verb
- To perform a vivisection on a living animal.
- vivisectionist noun
- A person who performs vivisection or supports it.
Commonly confused: vivisections or dissection?
vivisections vs dissection
Dissection is cutting up a dead body or plant for study; vivisection is done on live animals and is much more controversial.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'vivisections' correctly.
Choose one answer.
Vivisections are operations on live animals for research, so the lab example fits. The others confuse it with human surgery, plant biology, or geology.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vivisections”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.