Survival of the fittest
Meaning
The principle that only organisms best adapted to their environment are likely to survive and reproduce.
Origin
It wasn't Charles Darwin who first uttered "survival of the fittest," but rather the polymath Herbert Spencer, a philosopher and social theorist. In his 1864 work, "Principles of Biology," Spencer sought to describe a fundamental truth about competition and progress, not just in nature, but in society and business too. He saw it as the engine driving the development of civilization—a concept he applied to economic systems and social structures long before Darwin embraced it. Darwin himself, recognizing its evocative power, later incorporated the phrase into the fifth edition of "On the Origin of Species" in 1869 as a powerful, everyday synonym for his more technical "natural selection," cementing its place in popular consciousness as a cornerstone of evolutionary theory.
Examples
- In a highly competitive job market, it's often a case of survival of the fittest, where only the most skilled candidates secure positions.
- The small startup knew that without constant innovation, it would struggle in the harsh economic climate, truly a survival of the fittest situation.