Dictionary.com
definitions

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.

RELATED CONTENT

water iceRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
Famous Writers And Their Oddball RoutinesRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

  1. conan,
  2. conan doyle,
  3. conant,
  4. conant, james bryant,
  5. conarium,
  6. conative,
  7. conatus,
  8. conc.,
  9. concanavalin a,
  10. concatenate

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for conation

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

conation

n.

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."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for conation

conation

[kō-nā′shən]

n.

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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.