Wiktionary

endeavor

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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The verb is from Middle English endeveren (“to make an effort”); the noun is from Middle English endevour, from the verb. Endeveren is from (putten) in dever (“(to put oneself) in duty”), from in + dever (“duty”), partially translating Middle French (se mettre) en devoir (de faire) (“(to make it) one's duty (to do), to endeavour (to do)”) (from Old French devoir, deveir (“duty”)).

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ɪnˈdɛv.ə/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ɛnˈdɛv.ɚ/, /ɪnˈdɛv.ɚ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛvə(ɹ)

Noun

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endeavor (plural endeavors) (American spelling)

  1. A sincere attempt; a determined or assiduous effort towards a specific goal; assiduous or persistent activity.
    • 1944 June 6, Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Prayer on D-Day”, in Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum‎[1], archived from the original on June 29, 2016:
      My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer: Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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endeavor (third-person singular simple present endeavors, present participle endeavoring, simple past and past participle endeavored) (American spelling)

  1. (obsolete) To exert oneself. [15th–17th c.]
  2. (intransitive) To attempt through application of effort (to do something); to try strenuously. [from 16th c.]
  3. (obsolete, transitive) To attempt (something). [16th–17th c.]
  4. To work with purpose.
    • 2012 March-April, John T. Jost, “Social Justice: Is It in Our Nature (and Our Future)?”, in American Scientist‎[2], volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 13 February 2012, page 162:
      He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record. With this biological framework in place, Corning endeavors to show that the capitalist system as currently practiced in the United States and elsewhere is manifestly unfair.

Synonyms

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Translations

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Anagrams

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