What does metamorphosis mean?
Metamorphosis is a formal noun meaning a complete change in form, structure, character, or nature. The term is most famously applied to biological development, as when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, but it also describes radical social, artistic, or personal transformations. In general use, the word carries a strong sense of change so complete that the previous state is no longer recognizable. This makes it especially useful in figurative contexts: a novel may be described as a metamorphosis of the detective genre, while a company can undergo a metamorphosis under new leadership. Biologically, the word refers to a developmental process in which an organism changes radically in body form. “Metamorphosis” is more formal than “change” and often implies transformation on an unusual or dramatic scale. Its Greek roots mean “change of form,” making it a precise and memorable word for both literal change and transformation of identity.
nounA complete or striking change in form, structure, character, or nature. In biology, it refers to the process by which an organism undergoes a radical change in body form during its life cycle.
- A complete or striking change in form, structure, character, or nature.
- The biological process by which an organism undergoes a radical change in body form during its life cycle.
"The caterpillar's metamorphosis into a butterfly is one of the most familiar examples of transformation in nature."
"The novel represented a remarkable metamorphosis of the historical detective story."
"The insect's life cycle includes a larval stage followed by complete metamorphosis."
The plural is metamorphoses, pronounced with a final /ɪz/ sound.
"The two insects undergo entirely different metamorphoses as they mature."
Metamorphosis literally means “change of form”—the perfect name for a transformation so complete that the original identity seems to disappear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does metamorphosis come from?
The word comes from Greek metamorphōsis, a term derived from meta- and morphē, meaning “form,” and denoting a change of form. It entered English through learned Latin usage in the early 17th century. Its related forms include metamorph, metamorphic, and metamorphism, while morphology shares the underlying Greek root for “form.”
Related word forms
How metamorphosis is actually used
This is a formal and literary term, especially in figurative contexts. It is also the standard technical term in biology. In general use, it implies a change so extensive that the previous state is largely unrecognizable.
Easily confused with metamorphosis
Transformation is the broader term for any change in form or nature, whereas metamorphosis usually suggests a complete, dramatic, or biologically distinctive change.