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elan vital

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é⋅lan vi⋅tal

[Fr. ey-lahn vee-tal]
–noun
(esp. in Bergsonian philosophy) the creative force within an organism that is responsible for growth, change, and necessary or desirable adaptations.

Origin:
1905–10; < F: lit., vital ardor
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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élan vi·tal   (vē-tāl')   
n.  The vital force hypothesized by Henri Bergson as a source of efficient causation and evolution in nature. Also called life force.

[French : élan, ardor + vital, vital.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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