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.
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Origin of conatus
1655–65; < Latin: exertion, equivalent to cōnā(rī) to attempt + -tus suffix of v. action
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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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