Supposed creative force that could make a lad mostly violent, loveless (4,5)
I believe the answer is:
elan vital
'supposed creative force' is the definition.
(philosophical term)
'a lad mostly violent loveless' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'a' could be 'an' and 'an' is located in the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
'that could make' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Another definition for elan vital that I've seen is " Force for growth".)
I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution?
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