En"er*gy (?),n.;pl.Energies (#). [F.énergie, LL.energia, fr. Gr.?, fr. ? active; ? in + ? work. SeeIn, andWork.]1.Internal orinherent power; capacity of acting, operating, or producing aneffect, whether exerted or not; as, men possessingenergiesmay suffer them to lie inactive.

The greatenergies of nature are known to usonly by their effects.

2.Power efficiently and forcibly exerted;vigorous or effectual operation; as, theenergy of amagistrate.

3.Strength of expression; force ofutterance; power to impress the mind and arouse the feelings; life;spirit; -- said of speech, language, words, style; as, a style fullofenergy.

4.(Physics)Capacity for performingwork.

☞ Thekinetic energy of a body is the energy it has invirtue of being in motion. It is measured by one half of the productof the mass of each element of the body multiplied by the square ofthe velocity of the element, relative to some given body or point.Theavailable kinetic energy of a material system unconnectedwith any other system is that energy which is due to the motions ofthe parts of the system relative to its center of mass. Thepotential energy of a body or system is that energy which isnot kinetic; -- energy due to configuration.Kinetic energy issometimes calledactual energy.Kinetic energy isexemplified in thevis viva of moving bodies, in heat,electric currents, etc.;potential energy, in a bent spring,or a body suspended a given distance above the earth and acted on bygravity.

Accumulation,Conservation,Correlation, ∧Degradation ofenergy,etc.(Physics) See underAccumulation,Conservation,Correlation,etc.

Syn. -- Force; power; potency; vigor; strength; spirit;efficiency; resolution.