1. An innate inclination of a thing to continue to exist and enhance itself; a natural striving or effort.
Usage: philosophy; formal; from Latin
2. In Spinoza's philosophy, the effort by which each thing endeavors to persist in its being.
Usage: philosophy; technical

Examples

• Spinoza argued that conatus is the fundamental principle underlying all existence.
• The conatus of an organism drives it to seek nourishment and avoid harm.
• Philosophers have long debated whether conatus is a conscious or unconscious force.
• In early modern philosophy, conatus was used to explain the persistence of matter.
• The concept of conatus influenced later theories of will and motivation.