"flow state" meaning in English

See flow state in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: flow states [plural], flowstate [alternative]
Etymology: From flow + state. Etymology templates: {{etymon|en|:af|flow<id:noun>|state<id:polity>|text=+|tree=1}} [Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from", "terms" : [ { "is_uncertain" : true, "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*plew-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*plōw-", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "ine-pro" }, { "is_uncertain" : true, "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*pleh₃(w)-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*flōaną", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*flōan", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "flōwan", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "flowen", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "flowe", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "flow", "lang" : "en" }, { "id" : "polity", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "condition", "children" : [ { "keyword_abbrev" : "bor.", "keyword_label" : "Borrowed from", "terms" : [ { "id" : "condition", "children" : [ { "keyword_abbrev" : "lbor.", "keyword_label" : "Learned borrowing from", "terms" : [ { "id" : "state", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "setting up", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "alt" : "*stéh₂-tu-s ~ *sth₂-téw-s", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "to stand", "children" : [ ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*steh₂-", "lang" : "ine-pro" }, { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-tus", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*stéh₂tus", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Italic", "term" : "*status", "lang" : "itc-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Latin", "term" : "status", "lang" : "la" } ], "keyword" : "lbor" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old French", "term" : "estat", "lang" : "fro" } ], "keyword" : "bor" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "stat", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "state", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "flow state", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="flow state"> From flow + state., {{etymon|en|:af|flow<id:noun>|state<id:polity>|text=+|tree=1}} From flow + state. Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} flow state (countable and uncountable, plural flow states)
  1. A mental condition of complete absorption in an activity, marked by focused attention, diminished self-consciousness, and an altered sense of time, in which performance feels effortless and intrinsically rewarding. Tags: countable, uncountable Synonyms: in the zone
    Sense id: en-flow_state-en-noun-Brhcjd8T Categories (other): English entries with etymology texts, English entries with etymon, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Pages with etymon, Psychology

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_links": [
    [
      "flow",
      "flow#English:_noun"
    ],
    [
      "state",
      "state#English:_polity"
    ]
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  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "flow<id:noun>",
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      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*plew-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*plōw-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pleh₃(w)-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*flōaną\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*flōan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"flōwan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"flowen\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"flowe\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"flow\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"id\" : \"polity\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"condition\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"condition\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"lbor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Learned borrowing from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"state\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"setting up\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*stéh₂-tu-s ~ *sth₂-téw-s\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"to stand\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*steh₂-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tus\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*stéh₂tus\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*status\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"status\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"estat\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"stat\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"state\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"flow state\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"flow state\">\nFrom flow + state.",
      "name": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "flow<id:noun>",
        "4": "state<id:polity>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "From flow + state.",
      "name": "etymon"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From flow + state.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "flow states",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "flowstate",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "flow state (countable and uncountable, plural flow states)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology texts",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
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          "parents": [],
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        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Psychology",
          "orig": "en:Psychology",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
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      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              34,
              44
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1997 March 24, Kathleen Kelleher, “Put the Brain on Hold, Get in the Zone”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 27 Jan 2026:",
          "text": "Ritual enables a person to affect flow state more easily and acts as a body-mind cue.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A mental condition of complete absorption in an activity, marked by focused attention, diminished self-consciousness, and an altered sense of time, in which performance feels effortless and intrinsically rewarding."
      ],
      "id": "en-flow_state-en-noun-Brhcjd8T",
      "links": [
        [
          "mental",
          "state of mind"
        ],
        [
          "absorption",
          "absorption"
        ],
        [
          "diminished",
          "diminished"
        ],
        [
          "intrinsically",
          "intrinsically"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "in the zone"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "flow state"
}

{
  "etymology_links": [
    [
      "flow",
      "flow#English:_noun"
    ],
    [
      "state",
      "state#English:_polity"
    ]
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "flow<id:noun>",
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      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*plew-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*plōw-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pleh₃(w)-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*flōaną\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*flōan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"flōwan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"flowen\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"flowe\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"flow\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"id\" : \"polity\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"condition\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"condition\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"lbor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Learned borrowing from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"state\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"setting up\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*stéh₂-tu-s ~ *sth₂-téw-s\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"to stand\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*steh₂-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tus\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*stéh₂tus\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*status\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"status\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"estat\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"stat\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"state\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"flow state\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"flow state\">\nFrom flow + state.",
      "name": "etymon"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "flow<id:noun>",
        "4": "state<id:polity>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "From flow + state.",
      "name": "etymon"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From flow + state.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "flow states",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "flowstate",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "flow state (countable and uncountable, plural flow states)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English compound terms",
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with etymology texts",
        "English entries with etymon",
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        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *pleh₃(w)-",
        "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *plew-",
        "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *steh₂-",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English uncountable nouns",
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          "bold_text_offsets": [
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              44
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          "ref": "1997 March 24, Kathleen Kelleher, “Put the Brain on Hold, Get in the Zone”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 27 Jan 2026:",
          "text": "Ritual enables a person to affect flow state more easily and acts as a body-mind cue.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A mental condition of complete absorption in an activity, marked by focused attention, diminished self-consciousness, and an altered sense of time, in which performance feels effortless and intrinsically rewarding."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "mental",
          "state of mind"
        ],
        [
          "absorption",
          "absorption"
        ],
        [
          "diminished",
          "diminished"
        ],
        [
          "intrinsically",
          "intrinsically"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "in the zone"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "flow state"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-10-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-10-01 using wiktextract (c1bb342 and 6f96ddf). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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