Relating to, resembling, or having the nature of an animal or animals.
From Latin 'animal' plus the suffix '-ic' (meaning 'of or relating to'), likely formed in the 18th century as scientists needed varied adjective forms.
The suffix '-ic' suggests something scientific or formal—calling a behavior 'animalic' makes it sound like you're discussing it through a lens of biology rather than just calling it 'animalistic.'
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.