κενῶς
kenōs
in vain
In an empty, fruitless, or ineffective manner; that is, to no purpose, yielding no result, or without meaningful effect. The adverb modifies actions, indicating they are performed without achieving the intended outcome or result. The term may also connote futility or a lack of substance in what is attempted or asserted.
James 4:5 · Word #4
Lexicon G2761
| Lemma | κενῶς |
| Transliteration | kenōs |
| Strong's | G2761 |
| Definition | In an empty, fruitless, or ineffective manner; that is, to no purpose, yielding no result, or without meaningful effect. The adverb modifies actions, indicating they are performed without achieving the intended outcome or result. The term may also connote futility or a lack of substance in what is attempted or asserted. |
Morphology ADV
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | ADV — Adverb — Modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb |
Common Translation
| Phrase | in vain |
| Literal | vainly |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | κενῶς |
| Strong's | G2761 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G2761-01
to no purpose
| Morphological Notes | Adverb formed from κενός with adverbial suffix -ως; modifies a verb to describe manner ("in an empty/fruitless way"). |
| Rendering Rationale | The adverb derives from κενός (“empty, void”) with the -ως ending, expressing manner. "To no purpose" captures the sense of acting in an empty or fruitless way, preserving the root idea of emptiness applied adverbially. |
View full lexicon entry for G2761 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
to no purpose
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | P1 'to no purpose' accurately follows the silex_definition and fits the context of 'in vain' or 'without result'. |