conation

[koh-ney-shuh n]

See more synonyms for conation on Thesaurus.com

noun Psychology.

the part of mental life having to do with striving, including desire and volition.

Origin of conation

1605–15; < Latin cōnātiōn- (stem of cōnātiō) an effort, equivalent to cōnāt(us) (past participle of cōnārī to try) + -iōn- -ion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for conation

picture, story, setup, recipe, project, plan, scheme, desire, accord, selection, option, willingness, wish, preference, choice, will, determination, election, discretion, resolution

Examples from the Web for conation

Historical Examples of conation

In other words, whatever the history of this conation may be, it is now a unity or whole.
An Interpretation of Rudolf Eucken's Philosophy
W. Tudor Jones

British Dictionary definitions for conation

conation

noun

the element in psychological processes that tends towards activity or change and appears as desire, volition, and striving

Derived Formsconational, adjective

Word Origin for conation

C19: from Latin cōnātiō an attempting, from cōnārī to try

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for conation

in philosophical use from 1836, from Latin conationem (nominative conatio) "an endeavoring, effort," noun of action from past participle stem of conari "to endeavor, to try," from PIE *kona-, from root *ken- "to set oneself in motion."

conation in Medicine

conation

[kō-nā′shən]

The aspect of mental processes or behavior directed toward action or change and including impulse, desire, volition, and striving.

Related formsco′na•tive (kō′nə-tĭv, kŏn′ə-) adj.