conation
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conation
1605–15; < Latin cōnātiōn- (stem of cōnātiō ) an effort, equivalent to cōnāt ( us ) (past participle of cōnārī to try) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Conation is the desire and motivation to do something. You might be smart enough to get a PhD, but you'll also need the conation to research and write a 200-page dissertation! The word conation is uncommon; it's most often used by philosophers and psychologists to describe the specific mental ability and process that allows people to go beyond just thinking about something to actually doing it. It's conation that helps you find a solution to a problem that's been bothering you, or finish a long-term project. You can think of conation as a combination of motivation and perseverance. The Latin root is conationem, "an endeavoring or effort."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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.
From The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Volume 10 by Various
The cognition is indirect, the conation is indirect, only the effect is immediate.
From Public Opinion by Lippmann, Walter
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.
From An Interpretation of Rudolf Eucken's Philosophy by Jones, W. Tudor (William Tudor)
Cognition is therefore distinct from emotion and conation; it has no psychological connexion with feelings of pleasure and pain, nor does it tend as such to issue in action.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 6 "Cockaigne" to "Columbus, Christopher" by Various
That movement is the resultant of the spiritual potency after experiences in the form of cognition have marked out the path for conation.
From An Interpretation of Rudolf Eucken's Philosophy by Jones, W. Tudor (William Tudor)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
