Dynamis
/ˈduː.nə.mɪs/noun
A Greek philosophical term meaning power, capacity, or potentiality to act or change.
Did you know?Aristotle used *dynamis* for potentiality, contrasting it with *energeia*, or actuality—the philosophical ancestor of turning possibility into manifestation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeh₁- / *dʰuH-
“To do, put, or be capable of acting; the reconstructed root underlying Greek expressions of ability and power.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
δύναμαι (dýnamai)
“I am able; I have power or capacity.”
5th–4th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
δύναμις (dýnamis)
“Power, ability, capacity, or potentiality.”
4th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
δύναμις (dýnamis)
“In Aristotle’s philosophy, potentiality—the capacity for a thing to become or do something.”
17th–19th Century
Scientific English
dynamic / dynamo
“English formations based on Greek *dynamis*, referring to force, motion, or a machine that generates power.”
Modern English
English
dynamis
“A specialized philosophical or theological term for power, potential, or operative force.”