Ataraxia
/ˌætəˈræksiə/noun
A state of calmness, composure, or freedom from mental disturbance.
Did you know?The term was prized by Epicureans and Skeptics as a near-sacred ideal: not pleasure, but the eerie, disciplined freedom from disturbance.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀταραξία (ataraxía)
“untroubledness, calm, freedom from disturbance”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀ- (a-) + ταραχή (tarakhḗ)
“not + disturbance, agitation, confusion”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*terə- / *tar-
“to stir, confuse, or disturb (traditional reconstruction behind Greek τάραχος and related forms)”
Late Latin / Philosophical Latin
Latin
ataraxia
“a term borrowed from Greek for tranquil composure”
Modern English
English
ataraxia
“a state of serene calm or mental peace”