conative
Americanadjective
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Psychology. pertaining to or of the nature of conation.
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Grammar. expressing endeavor or effort.
a conative verb.
noun
adjective
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grammar denoting an aspect of verbs in some languages used to indicate the effort of the agent in performing the activity described by the verb
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of or relating to conation
Etymology
Origin of conative
First recorded in 1680–90; conat(ion) + -ive
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.
At Livy I 46 2 the word is used without the conative sense: 'neque ea res Tarquinio spem adfectandi regni minuit'.
From The Last Poems of Ovid by Akrigg, Mark Bear
Another less common use of the word is to describe the pleasant or painful sensations which accompany muscular activity; the conative phenomena, thus regarded, are psychic changes brought about by external causes.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7 "Columbus" to "Condottiere" by Various
Man's spirit has to carry all its knowledge and experience into its own conative spiritual potencies.
From An Interpretation of Rudolf Eucken's Philosophy by Jones, W. Tudor (William Tudor)
As to sentiments and emotions, they involve ideas and conative elements in addition to sensations and feelings.
From The Psychological Origin and the Nature of Religion by Leuba, James H. (James Henry)
A feature which marks all the fighting, and which we cannot afford to disregard, is the conative aspect of the behaviour of the owner of the territory.
From Territory in Bird Life by Howard, H. Eliot
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.
