Standard Lemma guide

conative

adj · noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈkəʊn.ə.tɪv/
  • General-American: /ˈkoʊn.ə.tɪv/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or pertaining to a striving action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: conational

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An utterance that implies striving.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • The conative, as opposed to the cognitive or affective, relates to purposeful, but not necessarily ultimately rational, action.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Latin conatio (“an act of attempting”).

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: conatiu — of a striving action
  • Chinese Mandarin: 意动的 (yì dòng de) — of a striving action
  • Czech: konativní — of a striving action
  • Dutch: conatief — of a striving action
  • Dutch: trachtend — of a striving action
  • Dutch: proberend — of a striving action
  • German: konativ — of a striving action
  • Italian: conativo — of a striving action
  • Polish: impresywny — of a striving action
  • Russian: конати́вный (konatívnyj) — of a striving action
  • Spanish: conativo — of a striving action
  • Swedish: konativ — of a striving action