darwinism Definition

a theory of the origin and perpetuation of new species of animals and plants that offspring of a given organism vary, that natural selection favors the survival of some of these variations over others, that new species have arisen and may continue to arise by these processes, and that widely divergent groups of plants and animals have arisen from the same ancestors

a theory that inherent dynamic forces allow only the fittest persons or organizations to prosper in a competitive environment or situation

an opposition to or hostility toward Darwinism

a theory of evolution that is a synthesis of Darwin's theory in terms of natural selection and modern population genetics

an extension of Darwinism to social phenomena; specifically : a sociological theory that sociocultural advance is the product of intergroup conflict and competition and the socially elite classes (such as those possessing wealth and power) possess biological superiority in the struggle for existence