Conatus

/kəʊˈneɪ.təs/

Synonyms for "conatus" (54 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: affinity, animus, appetite, aptitude, bent.
  • Sentence evidence is available for conatus, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
  • Ranking signals come from derived_reverse.

Synonym selection checklist

  • Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
  • Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
  • Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "conatus".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "conatus"

Keep "conatus" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "conatus" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "conatus", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "conatus" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Sample sentences

2 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

Creationists commonly doctor the Second Law of Thermodynamics to claim that biological evolution, an increase in order over time, is physically impossible. The part of the law they omit is “in a closed system.” Organisms are open systems: they capture energy from the sun, food, or ocean vents to carve out temporary pockets of order in their bodies and nests while they dump heat and waste into the environment, increasing disorder in the world as a whole. Organisms’ use of energy to maintain their integrity against the press of entropy is a modern explanation of the principle of conatus (effort or striving), which Spinoza defined as “the endeavor to persist and flourish in one’s own being,” and which was a foundation of several Enlightenment-era theories of life and mind.

Source: wiktionary

[E]ach part so moved does by that motion exert a conatus of protruding and displacing all the adjacent Particles.

Source: wiktionary

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "conatus"?

Closest matches include affinity, animus, appetite, aptitude, bent.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "conatus"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "conatus"