vis

Vis is a Latin noun meaning force, power, or strength. In classical philosophy and later science, vis denotes the capacity to cause change or to exert influence. The term appears in historical phrases such as vis naturalis (natural power) and in discussions of force, energy, and agency.

In the history of physics, the concept of vis viva, literally “living force,” was introduced by Leibniz to describe a quantity proportional to mass times velocity squared. Vis viva played a role in debates over the conservation of motion and helped influence later developments in the understanding of energy.

Vis also refers to a geographical place: the island of Vis in the Adriatic Sea, Croatia, and its principal town of the same name. The island, once a Yugoslav naval base, is known for its sheltered harbors and historic fortifications. It is reachable by ferry from Split and is part of Split-Dalmatia County.

As an acronym (VIS), the term is used in several technical contexts, including Visual Information System in computing, Visual-Inertial Sensor in robotics, and Visual Inspection System in manufacturing. These uses are domain-specific and depend on the organization or industry.

In French, vis means screw (une vis), illustrating how the same letters carry different meanings across languages.