nisus

American  

[nahy-suhs] / ˈnaɪ səs /

noun

nisus plural

1. an effort or striving toward a particular goal or attainment; impulse.

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nisus British  

/ ˈnaɪsəs /

noun

1. an impulse towards or striving after a goal

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• nisus
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nisus

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin nīsus “planting one’s feet firmly, strong muscular effort,” equivalent to nīt(ī) “to support or exert oneself” + -sus, variant of -tus suffix denoting the action of the verb

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nisus

Must its nisus, its self-determining energy, or its volition, follow a uniform and inevitable law?

From A Review of Edwards's by Tappan, Henry Philip

But then again we might seek to explain why the nisus is always made in the direction of the agreeable.

From A Review of Edwards's by Tappan, Henry Philip

Really, volition is the nisus or effort of that cause which we call will.

From A Review of Edwards's by Tappan, Henry Philip

But almost everywhere a strong nisus towards actual tale-telling and the rapid acquisition of proper "plant" for such telling, become evident.

From A History of the French Novel, Vol. 1 From the Beginning to 1800 by Saintsbury, George

Sometimes the nisus or volition expends itself in the will, and gives no external phenomena.

From A Review of Edwards's by Tappan, Henry Philip