eudaimonia
/ˌjuːdɪˈməʊnɪə/
eudaimonia means one of the Charites. It carries an Arena rating of 1822, earned across 60 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, eudaimonia ranks #55 of 42,747 for Qualifying, #132 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #432 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #621 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words.
eudaimonia is pronounced /ˌjuːdɪˈməʊnɪə/.
Why “eudaimonia” is a great word
The condition of living a life of the highest virtue, representing human flourishing and the ultimate good, desirable in itself. A learned borrowing from Ancient Greek εὐδαιμονίᾱ (eudaimoníā), from εὐ- (eu-, "good") + δαίμων (daímōn, "spirit, divinity") + -ίᾱ (-íā, abstract noun suffix), literally meaning "good spirits" or "having a good guardian spirit." Unlike *hedonia*, which is the fleeting sensation of pleasure, or *prosperity*, which is the accumulation of external fortune, *eudaimonia* is the deep-rooted state cultivated by reason and ethical action. It is the callus on a potter’s thumb from years of shaping clay, the deep breath after speaking an uncomfortable truth, the stillness of an old oak standing not because it was planted in fertile soil, but because it grew faithfully into its own form—the quiet knowledge that one has become, however imperfectly, the work one set out to do.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek εὐδαιμονίᾱ (eudaimoníā, literally “good spirits”). By surface analysis, eu- + demon + -ia.
noun
- In Aristotelian ethics, a condition of living a life of the highest virtue; the state of human flourishing, which is desirable in and of itself, rather than as a means towards some other end.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- eudaemonism 74% match — A philosophical notion, or system of ethics, which measures happiness in relation to morality. vs eudaimonia →
- eudaemonically 72% match — Happily; in such a way as to lead to happiness. vs eudaimonia →
- eudaemonics 71% match — That part of ethics that deals with happiness; the science of happiness, contrasted with aretaics. vs eudaimonia →
- eudaemony 71% match — Synonym of eudemonia. vs eudaimonia →
- eudaemon 68% match — A good or benevolent spirit. vs eudaimonia →
- eugeria 66% match — A good quality of life as one grows into old age. it is the ideal condition of old people who are free of physical illness, injury, and dysfunctional psychological or social problems. vs eudaimonia →
- hedonism 62% match — The philosophical belief that prioritizes happiness, particularly sensual pleasure as the highest good in life. vs eudaimonia →
- hedonium 61% match — Matter arranged in a way that produces pleasure or happiness as efficiently as possible, as might be encouraged by philosophical hedonism. vs eudaimonia →