English

Noun

neo-creo ‎(plural neo-creos)

1. (slang) proponent of intelligent design
   • 1999 August 17, Johnson, Phillip E.; Kitcher, Philip, “Should Evolution Be Taught in Schools?”, in Slate Magazine, ISSN 1091-2339:

     That's why there's no scientific controversy about common descent, the "fact of evolution." When pressed, even neo-creos (such as Michael Behe, the author of Darwin's Black Box) admit this (although, under other circumstances they're inclined to hedge and fudge).

   • 2002 April 14, Holt, Jim, “Supernatural Selection”, in New York Times, ISSN 0362-4331:

     In the early 1990's, however, a new breed of creationists appeared. These "neo-creos," as they have been called, are no Dogpatch hayseeds. They have Ph.D.'s and occupy positions at some of the better universities. The case they make against Darwinism does not rest on the authority of Scripture; rather, it proceeds from premises that are scientific and philosophical, invoking esoteric ideas in molecular biology, information theory and the logic of hypothesis testing.

   • 2005 August 21, Safire, William, “Neo-Creo”, in New York Times Magazine, ISSN 0028-7822:

     To counter the "sophisticated branding experts" who flummoxed establishmentarian evolutionaries with intelligent design, opponents of classroom debate over Darwin's theory have come up with a catchily derisive neologism that lumps the modern I.D. advocates with religious fundamentalists: neo-creo.

   • 2005 August 28, Jenkins, Sally, “Just Check the ID”, in Washington Post, ISSN 0190-8286:

     That makes it all the more important for the layman to distinguish the various gradations between evolutionists, serious scientists who are interested in ID, "neo-Creos," and Biblical literalists.

Synonyms

• design proponent

Hypernyms

• creo

Adjective

neo-creo ‎(comparative more neo-creo, superlative most neo-creo)

1. (slang) of or related to intelligent design or its advocacy
   • 2003, Kitcher, Phillip, “Born-Again Creationism”, in In Mendel's Mirror: Philosophical Reflections on Biology, New York: Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0195151794, LCCN 2002025759, LCC QH331.K6145 2003, page 373:

     I come at last to the most basic difficulty with the neo-creo attack, it's dim suggestions that the scientific world needs a shot of supernaturalism.