Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to: navigation, search


Wikipedia has a portal on:



From Middle French énergie, from Late Latin energia, from Ancient Greek ἐνέργεια (energeia, action, act, work), from ἐνεργός (energos, active), from ἐν (en, in) + ἔργον (ergon, work).



energy (plural energies)

  1. The impetus behind all motion and all activity.
      A “moving platform” scheme [] is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails. [] This set-up solves several problems […]. Stopping high-speed trains wastes energy and time, so why not simply slow them down enough for a moving platform to pull alongside?
  2. The capacity to do work.
  3. (physics) 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 TNT
  4. (New Age jargon) An intangible, modifiable force (often characterized as either 'positive' or 'negative') believed 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; a vibe, a feeling, an impression.
    • 2004, Phylameana L. Desy, The Everything Reiki Book, Body, Mind & Spirit, p. 130
      Reiki, much like prayer, is a personal exercise that can easily convert negative energy into positive energy.
    • 2009, Christopher Johns, Becoming a Reflective Practitioner, John Wiley & Sons, p. 15
      Negative feelings can be worked through and their energy converted into positive energy... In crisis, normal patterns of self-organization fail, resulting in anxiety (negative energy). Being open systems, people can exchange this energy with the environment and create positive energy for taking action based on a reorganisation of self as necessary to resolve the crisis and emerge at a higher level of consciousness; that is, until the next crisis.
    • 2011, Anne Jones, Healing Negative Energies, Hachette, p. 118
      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.


Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]


External links[edit]