survival of the fittest

(the) survival of the fittest

1. Literally, the principle theory of evolution that the species that are able to adapt to their environments will continue to survive, while those that don't will ultimately die out. Nowhere do you see the survival of the fittest demonstrated more clearly than this enclosed ecosystem, where each species is in a constant struggle for food and dominance.2. By extension, the people or things that can best navigate, adapt to, or compete in a difficult or tricky situation or environment will be much more likely to succeed. They always had a mentality of survival of the fittest in that office, putting huge workloads on people and telling those who couldn't cope with the pressure to just find another job. With so many different smartphones on the market, it really is the survival of the fittest right now.See also: fit, of, survival

survival of the fittest

the idea that the most able or fit will survive (while the less able and less fit will perish). (This is used literally as a principle of the theory of evolution.) In college, it's the survival of the fittest. You have to keep working in order to survive and graduate. I don't give my houseplants very good care, but the ones I have are really flourishing. It's the survival of the fittest, I guess.See also: fit, of, survival

survival of the fittest

Those best adapted to particular conditions will succeed in the long run, as in They've had to close a dozen of their stores, but the ones in the western part of the state are doing well-it's the survival of the fittest . This phrase was invented by Herbert Spencer in Principles of Biology (1864) to describe Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection of living species. By the early 1900s it was being transferred to other areas. See also: fit, of, survival

survival of the fittest

the continued existence of organisms which are best adapted to their environment, with the extinction of others, as a concept in the Darwinian theory of evolution. The phrase was coined by the English philosopher and sociologist Herbert Spencer ( 1820–1903 ) in Principles of Biology ( 1865 ). Besides its formal scientific use, the phrase is often used loosely and humorously in contexts relating to physical fitness (or the lack of it).See also: fit, of, survival

(the) surˌvival of the ˈfittest

the principle that only the people or things that are best adapted to their surroundings will continue to exist: In this climate of economic recession, many businesses are at risk, and it really is a case of survival of the fittest. Fittest means ‘most suitable’.See also: fit, of, survival

survival of the fittest

In the long run the strongest succeed. This phrase was originated by Herbert Spencer (Principles of Biology, 1864) in describing Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. It later was broadened to describe, for example, the success of a well-run corporation compared to failing businesses. The poet Sarah N. Cleghorn, however, pointed out (The Survival of the Fittest, 1917), “‘The unfit die—the fit both live and thrive.’ Alas, who say so? They who do survive.”See also: fit, of, survival

survival of the fittest

an aphorism coined by Herbert SPENCER, and quoted by DARWIN in On the Origin of Species (1859). The theory argued:

that reproduction in any species involved a certain degree of natural variation in the characteristics of offspring;
that any variation which enhanced the survival capacity of certain members of a species over other members lacking that variation would be positively selected for in terms of reproduction chances; and
that over millennia this process could account for: (i) the development of complex organisms from simple ones; and (ii) an enormous diversification of species from a small number of original organisms.

The concept of'survival of the fittest’ has had little explicit currency in sociology, except in terms of SOCIAL DARWINISM. See also EVOLUTIONARY THEORY, NEOEVOLUTIONISM, EVOLUTIONARY SOCIOLOGY.

survival of the fittest

survival of the fittest

surviv′al of the fit′test

survival of the fittest

(the) survival of the fittest

survival of the fittest

survival of the fittest

survival of the fittest

(the) surˌvival of the ˈfittest

survival of the fittest

survival of the fittest

survival of the fittest

survival of the fittest

Synonyms for survival of the fittest

noun a natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms best adapted to the environment

Synonyms

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