Standard Lemma guide

therianthrope

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈθɛɹ.i.ənˌθɹoʊp/
  • /ˈθiːɹ-/
  • /-æn-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any mythical being which is part human, part animal, or is able to shift between human and animal forms.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, mysticism, mythology, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Someone who identifies as a nonhuman animal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Identifying as a therianthrope, Alex felt a deep, instinctive connection to wolves that shaped their sense of self and community.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: therian

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵhwer-der. Proto-Hellenic *kwhḗr Ancient Greek θήρ (thḗr) Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Ancient Greek -ῐος (-ĭos)? Ancient Greek -ῐον (-ĭon) Ancient Greek θηρίον (thēríon) Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos) English therianthrope From Ancient Greek θηρίον (thēríon, “wild beast”) + ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “man”).

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: homme-bête — any mythical being which is part human, part animal
  • French: thérianthrope — any mythical being which is part human, part animal
  • German: Tiermensch — any mythical being which is part human, part animal
  • German: Menschentier — any mythical being which is part human, part animal
  • Ancient Greek: θηριάνθρωπος (thēriánthrōpos) — any mythical being which is part human, part animal
  • Japanese: 獣人 (jūjin) — any mythical being which is part human, part animal
  • Russian: о́боротень (óborotenʹ) — any mythical being which is part human, part animal
  • Russian: териа́нтроп (teriántrop) — any mythical being which is part human, part animal
  • Russian: териа́н (terián) — any mythical being which is part human, part animal
  • Russian: человекозве́рь (čelovekozvérʹ) — any mythical being which is part human, part animal
  • Spanish: hombre bestia — any mythical being which is part human, part animal