1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

élan vital

noun

Definition of élan vitalnext
as in world soul

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of élan vital And a mention that Victor was a big believer in the philosophical concept of elan vital, the idea that all organic material holds an intangible force willing it into being. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for élan vital
  1. lifeblood
  2. Shakti
  3. life
Noun
  • Since diesel is the lifeblood of the supply chain, a rise in fuel costs may result in higher prices charged by wholesalers in response to elevated transport expenses.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • An economic slowdown would threaten how much profit companies can make, which is the lifeblood of the stock market.
    — Stan Choe, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of lifeblood
Noun
  • The Sweetest Kill is produced by Atomic Features, in association with Shakti Sol Productions.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Mar. 2026
  • David Gallego handled cinematography, Shakti Bhagchandani the editing, and the production design is courtesy of Jamie Morgan Lapsley.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of Shakti
Noun
  • Captivated by the notion, Bell and I tried it and had the time of our lives.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Even some of the signings who have made fast starts to life in the Premier League are still finding their feet.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of life

Browse Nearby Words

élan
élan vital
elapse
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“élan vital.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9lan%20vital. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of churlish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All