conation

[koh-ney-shuhn]

noun

Psychology.

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

conation

/ kəʊˈneɪʃən /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• conational adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conation¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of conation¹

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

Example Sentences

With all due respect to conation, I split for Bond — James Bond — complete with a video clip of the incumbent spy, the actor Daniel Craig, being tortured.

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That movement is the resultant of the spiritual potency after experiences in the form of cognition have marked out the path for conation.

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The cognition is indirect, the conation is indirect, only the effect is immediate.

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Volition, therefore, following McDougall, may be defined as the supporting or re-enforcing of a desire or conation by the cooperation of an impulse excited within the system of the self-regarding sentiment.

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This conation is an inheritance; it is present in the form of dissatisfaction with the present situation; it moves in the direction of a goal which is marked out by intellect.

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Related Words

• picture 
• plan 
• project 
• recipe 
• scheme 
• setup 
• story