Dictionary / energy
energy
- noun
- from Middle French
The impetus behind all motion and all activity.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “energy” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun
- countableuncountableThe impetus behind all motion and all activity.
- countableuncountableThe capacity to do work.
There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.[…]Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors. Passengers wander restlessly about or hurry, with futile energy, from place to place.1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC:
- countableuncountableA quantity that denotes the ability to do work and is measured in a unit dimensioned in mass × distance²/time² (ML²/T²) or the equivalent.
SI: joule (J), kilowatt-hour (kW·h) CGS: erg (erg) Customary: foot-pound-force, calorie, kilocalorie (i.e. dietary calories), BTU, liter-atmosphere, ton of TNTUnits
- countableuncountableAn intangible, modifiable force (usually characterized as either 'positive' or 'negative') believed in some New Age religions to emanate from a person, place or thing and which is (or can be) preserved and transferred in human interactions; shared mood or group habit.
Reiki, much like prayer, is a personal exercise that can easily convert negative energy into positive energy.2004, Phylameana L. Desy, The Everything Reiki Book, Body, Mind & Spirit, p.130
- countablein pluraloftenuncountableThe external actions and influences resulting from an entity’s internal nature (ousia) and by which it is made manifest, as opposed to that internal nature itself; the aspect of an entity that can affect the wider world and be apprehended by other beings.
The three Persons of the Holy Trinity have the same opinion, make the same decision, and put forth the same energy and action.2003, Carl S. Tyneh, Orthodox Christianity: Overview and Bibliography, page 21:
- countableuncountableA measure of how many actions a player or unit can take; in the fantasy genre often called magic points or mana.
- InternetcountableuncountableAn atmosphere, aura, or vibe.
big dick energy; divorced guy energy; main character energy
Cross-check: WordNet senses (7)
- noun(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs — also: free energy
- nounforceful exertion — also: vigor, vigour, zip
- nounenterprising or ambitious drive — also: push, get-up-and-go
- nounan imaginative lively style (especially style of writing) — also: muscularity, vigor, vigour, vim
- nouna healthy capacity for vigorous activity — also: vim, vitality
- nounany source of usable power
- nounthe federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States; created in 1977 — also: Department of Energy, Energy Department, DOE
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)energy
- Middle Frenchénergie
- Late Latinenergia
- Ancient Greekἐνέργεια (enérgeia) “activity”
- Ancient Greekἐνεργός (energós) “active”
- Ancient Greekἐν (en) “in” + ἔργον (érgon) “work”
From Middle French énergie, from Late Latin energia, from Ancient Greek ἐνέργεια (enérgeia, “activity”), from ἐνεργός (energós, “active”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”). The sense in physics was coined by English polymath Thomas Young in 1802 in his lectures on Natural Philosophy.
Derivatives — words built from “energy”
Phrases & compounds
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “energy” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “energy” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
energy n. [F. , LL. energia, fr. Gr.In, and Work.]
- Internal or inherent power; capacity of acting, operating, or producing an effect, whether exerted or not; as, men possessing energies may suffer them to lie inactive.
- Power efficiently and forcibly exerted; vigorous or effectual operation; as, the energy of a magistrate.
- Strength of expression; force of utterance; power to impress the mind and arouse the feelings; life; spirit; -- said of speech, language, words, style; as, a style full of energy.
- Capacity for performing work.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: The capacity to do work.
There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.[…]Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors. Passengers wander restlessly about or hurry, with futile energy, from place to place.1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC:
McGrath, the manager of Somewhere/Else, told GCN that the long hours she has put in since she has become the bar's manager have left her drained of the energy required to undertake a rebuilding effort.1983 December 17, Christine Guilfoy, “Women's Bar, Mens Baths Destroyed By Fire”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 22, page 17:
nounMeaning: A quantity that denotes the ability to do work and is measured in a unit dimensioned in mass × distance²/time² (ML²/T²) or the equivalent.
SI: joule (J), kilowatt-hour (kW·h) CGS: erg (erg) Customary: foot-pound-force, calorie, kilocalorie (i.e. dietary calories), BTU, liter-atmosphere, ton of TNTUnits
nounMeaning: An intangible, modifiable force (usually characterized as either 'positive' or 'negative') believed in some New Age religions to emanate from a person, place or thing and which is (or can be) preserved and transferred in human interactions; shared mood or group habit.
Reiki, much like prayer, is a personal exercise that can easily convert negative energy into positive energy.2004, Phylameana L. Desy, The Everything Reiki Book, Body, Mind & Spirit, p.130
If you have been badly affected by negative energy a salt bath is wonderful for clearing and cleansing yourself[…]. Salt attracts negative energy and will draw it away from you.2011, Anne Jones, Healing Negative Energies, Hachette, page 118:
nounMeaning: The external actions and influences resulting from an entity’s internal nature (ousia) and by which it is made manifest, as opposed to that internal nature itself; the aspect of an entity that can affect the wider world and be apprehended by other beings.
The three Persons of the Holy Trinity have the same opinion, make the same decision, and put forth the same energy and action.2003, Carl S. Tyneh, Orthodox Christianity: Overview and Bibliography, page 21:
nounMeaning: An atmosphere, aura, or vibe.
big dick energy; divorced guy energy; main character energy
A moviegoing subscription relying on VR and decentralized technologies gives the same energy as AMC getting into crypto. Fine, but why?2018 September 27, Bijan Stephen, “@Dril is the best chronicler of the internet's last decade”, in The Verge, archived from the original on 07 Jun 2023:
nounMeaning: (physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
energy can take a wide variety of forms
nounMeaning: forceful exertion
he plays tennis with great energy
nounMeaning: enterprising or ambitious drive
Europeans often laugh at American energy
nounMeaning: an imaginative lively style (especially style of writing)
his writing conveys great energy
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
energy
/ˈɛnəd͡ʒi/
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
energy
/ˈɛnəd͡ʒi/ · noun
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “energy” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“SI: joule (J), kilowatt-hour (kW·h) CGS: erg (erg) Customary: foot-pound-force, calorie, kilocalorie (i.e. dietary calories), BTU, liter-atmosphere, ton of TNT”
Circle the meaning used.
“Reiki, much like prayer, is a personal exercise that can easily convert negative energy into positive energy.”
Circle the meaning used.
“big dick energy; divorced guy energy; main character energy”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “energy” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Ancient Greek ἐνεργός. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — energy
Which meaning, sentence 1: B. A quantity that denotes the ability to do work and is measured in a unit dimensioned in mass × distance²/time² (ML²/T²) or the equivalent.
Which meaning, sentence 2: C. An intangible, modifiable force (usually characterized as either 'positive' or 'negative') believed in some New Age religions to emanate from a person, place or thing and which is (or can be) preserved and transferred in human interactions; shared mood or group habit.
Which meaning, sentence 3: C. An atmosphere, aura, or vibe.
Origin: C. Middle French (Middle French énergie)
Journey: English energy ← Middle French énergie ← Late Latin energia ← Ancient Greek ἐνέργεια ← Ancient Greek ἐνεργός ← Ancient Greek ἐν + ἔργον
Some derivatives: agroenergy, bioenergy, counterenergy, cryoenergy, eigenenergy, emergy, energise, energize
Original meaning: Ancient Greek ἐνεργός — “active”
Built from: ἐν “in” + ἔργον “work”
Etymology: From Middle French énergie, from Late Latin energia, from Ancient Greek ἐνέργεια (enérgeia, “activity”), from ἐνεργός (energós, “active”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”). The sense in physics was coined by English polymath Thomas Young in 1802 in his lectures on Natural Philosophy.
Sources: Wiktionary “energy” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/energy#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/energy