Added 9 October 2026
volition
/vəˈlɪʃ(ə)n/ noun
Latin root: volitiō Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about volition at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A conscious choice or decision. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
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The mental power or ability of choosing; the will.
Out of all the factors that can influence a person’s decision, none can match the power of his or her own volition.
- A concept that distinguishes whether or not the subject or agent intended something.
Origin
From French volition, from Medieval Latin volitiō (“will, volition”), from Latin volō (“to wish; to want; to mean or intend”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose; to want”)) + -tiō (suffix forming nouns relating to some action or the result of an action) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *-tis (suffix forming abstract or action nouns from verbs)).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)