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Synonyms

élan vital

American  
[ey-lahn vee-tal] / eɪ lɑ̃ viˈtal /

noun

  1. (especially in Bergsonian philosophy) the creative force within an organism that is responsible for growth, change, and necessary or desirable adaptations.

élan vital British  
/ elɑ̃ vital /

noun

  1. a creative principle held by Henri Bergson to be present in all organisms and responsible for evolution Compare Bergsonism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of élan vital

1905–10; < French: literally, vital ardor

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.