vitalité

Vitalità is the Italian term for vitality, referring to the state of being alive, energetic, and healthy. In everyday language it describes physical vigor, mental alertness, and resilience, as in phrases about a person’s vitalità or the vitality of a community.

Originating from Latin vitalitas (from vita, life), the term shares its roots with related words in many Romance languages.

In scientific and clinical contexts, vitalità denotes the capacity of living organisms to sustain life processes. In medicine, it is linked to the assessment of vital signs (parametri vitali) such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature, which indicate the body's basic functioning. In nutrition and gerontology, vitality is used to describe energy reserves, metabolic health, and functional status that influence daily activities.

Philosophically, vitalism (vitalismo) is the doctrine that life cannot be fully explained by physical and chemical laws alone and posits a life force or principle guiding living systems. Vitalism influenced early biology and medicine but has been largely superseded by mechanistic accounts.

In culture and daily life, vitality often implies vigor and zest. It is widely associated with aging, fitness, and wellbeing, with interventions like exercise, adequate sleep, and balanced nutrition aimed at sustaining vitality over time.

See also: vital signs, vitalism, vita.