velleity
[ vuh-lee-i-tee ]
noun,plural vel·le·i·ties.
volition in its weakest form.
a mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it.
Origin of velleity
1First recorded in 1630–40; from Medieval Latin velleitās, equivalent to Latin velle “to be willing, want” + -itās -ity
Words Nearby velleity
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use velleity in a sentence
How would it be possible to resist the will of God, supposing of course that it was his real will, not a mere velleity?
The Essence of Christianity | Ludwig FeuerbachBut the desire by way of simple velleity may not be put into a proper prayer, when there is no hope.
A Christian Directory (Part 2 of 4) | Richard Baxter
British Dictionary definitions for velleity
velleity
/ (vɛˈliːɪtɪ) /
nounplural -ties rare
the weakest level of desire or volition
a mere wish
Origin of velleity
1C17: from New Latin velleitās, from Latin velle to wish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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