élan vital

English

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élan vital

/eɪˈlɑn viˈtɑl/

Where it comes from

An unadapted borrowing from French élan vital (“life force”, literally “vital impetus or force”), coined by Henri Bergson in 1907.

noun

uncountable The life force or vital principle posited in the philosophy of Henri Bergson; any mysterious or creative vital principle. Progress was a labyrinth. . . people plunging blindly in and then rushing wildly back, shouting that they had found it. . . the invisible king—the élan vital—the principle of evolution. . .

Translations

Every language

noun life force in the philosophy of Henri Bergson

中文	生命衝動 /生命冲动 shēngmìng chōngdòng
Français	élan vital

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MLA

"élan vital." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/%C3%A9lan%20vital. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

élan vital. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/%C3%A9lan%20vital

Chicago

"élan vital." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/%C3%A9lan%20vital.

BibTeX

@misc{e_lan_vital_2026,
  title = {élan vital},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/%C3%A9lan%20vital},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}