conatus
[ koh-ney-tuh s ]
/ koʊˈneɪ təs /
noun, plural co·na·tus.
an effort or striving.
a force or tendency simulating a human effort.
(in the philosophy of Spinoza) the force in every animate creature toward the preservation of its existence.
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
conan doyle, conant, conarium, conation, conative, conatus, conc., concanavalin a, concatenate, concatenation, concato's disease
Origin of conatus
1655–65; < Latin: exertion, equivalent to cōnā(rī) to attempt + -tus suffix of v. action
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for conatus
Conatus est omne divortium inter regiam majestatem et reginam dissuadere.
History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume V|J. H. Merle d'AubignéStrange that this great length of time should not have produced even one new organ, or the marks of a conatus to produce one.
The Religion of Geology and Its Connected Sciences|Edward Hitchcock
British Dictionary definitions for conatus
conatus
/ (kəʊˈneɪtəs) /
noun plural -tus
an effort or striving of natural impulse
(esp in the philosophy of Spinoza) the tendency of all things to persist in their own being
Word Origin for conatus
C17: from Latin: effort, from cōnārī to try
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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