energy

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)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. (countable, uncountable)The capacity to do work.

   “There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.[…]Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors. Passengers wander restlessly about or hurry, with futile energy, from place to place.”

   “McGrath, the manager of Somewhere/Else, told GCN that the long hours she has put in since she has become the bar's manager have left her drained of the energy required to undertake a rebuilding effort.”

3. (countable, uncountable)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. (countable, uncountable)An intangible, modifiable force (usually characterized as either 'positive' or 'negative') believed in some New Age religions 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.

   “Reiki, much like prayer, is a personal exercise that can easily convert negative energy into positive energy.”

   “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.”

   “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.”

5. (countable, in-plural, often, uncountable)The external actions and influences resulting from an entity’s internal nature (ousia) and by which it is made manifest, as opposed to that internal nature itself; the aspect of an entity that can affect the wider world and be apprehended by other beings.

   “The three Persons of the Holy Trinity have the same opinion, make the same decision, and put forth the same energy and action.”

   “The doctrine of the divine energies states that the divine essence, God-in-himself, is unknowable to any creature, whereas God makes himself known in creation by his divine energies, which are inseparable from the divine essence yet distinct from it. Humans know and experience God through his energies. […] Energies are indeed God, but God is more than his energies.”

6. (countable, uncountable)A measure of how many actions a player or unit can take; in the fantasy genre often called magic points or mana.
7. (Internet, countable, uncountable)An atmosphere, aura, or vibe.

   “big dick energy; divorced guy energy; main character energy”

   “A moviegoing subscription relying on VR and decentralized technologies gives the same energy as AMC getting into crypto. Fine, but why?”

   “Toronto artist's new song has horror-movie energy and a deliciously evil beat”

   “In recent weeks, the mood on my social-media feeds has indeed been manic, a barrage of parties, picnics, excursions, and other tableaux that resemble stills from summer-themed romantic comedies. The sense of freedom is dizzying. We are all cultivating main-character energy now.”

   “Given that February has the same energy as stale bread, Tuesdays, and action figures that look nothing like the actors they're modeled after, it's no wonder we went extra hard for some self-care, and found not only comforting accessories for ourselves, but portable Carhartt cozies for our brewskies.”