Along with "
shifter" and "
were", "theriomorph" is one of the top contenders for a new politically correct term for all modern people who believe that they are werebeasts to refer to themselves with. Like "were" and "shifter", it is popular because it is not species specific (and therefore includes werecats and werefoxes as easily as werewolves) and does not imply a creature that physically shapeshifts. Also, unlike therianthrope and lycanthrope, it does not have connotations of being a psychiatric disorder. Note: the term "therian" is now beginning to replace "theriomorph" in popularity.