animal spirits
plural noun
1
sometimes animal spirit obsolete
: the nervous energy that is the source of physical sensation and movement
2
: vivacity arising from physical health and energy
3
in Keynesian economic theory
: emotional feelings and desires (such as an optimistic willingness to take positive action) that influence the economic behavior of consumers and investors
If you ask how much consumers will consume and investors invest over the next few months, the answer is determined largely by feelings—what John Maynard Keynes called "animal spirits." If frightened people decide not to spend, their nervousness can translate into a depressed economy.—
Paul Krugman
Paul KrugmanExamples of animal spirits in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To goose Big Oil’s animal spirits, Trump revoked a slew of Biden’s executive orders targeting the industry.
—Christopher Helman, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
That said, apart from anticipation of Trump sitting in the Oval Office, muted back-to-back inflation readings for December also buoyed animal spirits in the markets: All sectors of the market ended the week in the green.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2025
Read more What People Think Opinions related to business and economic issues submitted to The Hill:
Fixing the missing ‘N’ in ‘NPR’: Public media must serve the American public at large
Trump’s tariff plans could be harming his ‘animal spirit’ investors
You’re all caught up.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency is expected to end four years of tight regulatory oversight (if not overreach, by some critics’ assessments), setting free the animal spirits repressed amid post-Peak Streaming pullbacks, strikes and other complications.
—David Bloom, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
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Christopher Helman, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
That said, apart from anticipation of Trump sitting in the Oval Office, muted back-to-back inflation readings for December also buoyed animal spirits in the markets: All sectors of the market ended the week in the green.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2025
Read more What People Think Opinions related to business and economic issues submitted to The Hill:
Fixing the missing ‘N’ in ‘NPR’: Public media must serve the American public at large
Trump’s tariff plans could be harming his ‘animal spirit’ investors
You’re all caught up.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency is expected to end four years of tight regulatory oversight (if not overreach, by some critics’ assessments), setting free the animal spirits repressed amid post-Peak Streaming pullbacks, strikes and other complications.
—David Bloom, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for animal spirits
Dictionary Entries Near animal spirits
Cite this Entry
“Animal spirits.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animal%20spirits. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
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