Today's Word

Eudaemonia

yoo-dee-MOH-nee-uh

Definition

(noun) A state of human flourishing or well-being; happiness achieved through living virtuously.

Example

According to Aristotle, true eudaemonia comes from fulfilling one’s potential with purpose.

Word Origin

Early 19th century: from Greek eudaimonia, from eu ‘well’ + daimōn ‘spirit’.

Fun Fact

Eudaemonia is central to Aristotelian ethics and ancient Greek philosophy. Unlike modern ideas of happiness as fleeting pleasure, this word refers to a lasting sense of purpose, growth, and fulfillment. It’s about living a good life—not just a fun one. In modern psychology, eudaemonic well-being is contrasted with hedonic well-being, and it’s often linked to meaning, connection, and personal development.

Previous Words

Appetence

Today's Word

Appetence

AP-ih-tense

Definition

(noun) A natural craving or strong desire; an instinctive inclination toward something

Example

She couldn’t explain her appetence for solo travel — it was simply part of who she was.

Word Origin

Appetence comes from the Latin appetentia, derived from appetere — meaning “to strive after” or “to desire” — itself a combination of ad (“toward”) and petere (“to seek” or “to aim at”). The word entered English in the 17th century, used by philosophers and naturalists to describe instinctive drives in both humans and animals.

Fun Fact

Appetence was a favorite concept of early behavioral scientists who believed that all living creatures are governed by innate appetences — drives toward food, warmth, connection, and survival that operate below conscious thought. The word also appears in literary philosophy: German Romantic writers used the concept to explore the soul’s yearning for beauty and meaning, framing appetence not as simple hunger but as the deepest expression of what a being is naturally drawn toward.

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Eudaemonia

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Previous Words

Appetence

Appetence

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Appetence

Idiosyncratic

Staid

Virtuoso

Cupidity