akrasia

British

/ əˈkreɪzɪə /

noun

philosophy weakness of will; acting in a way contrary to one's sincerely held moral values

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

akratic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of akrasia

C20: from _a- ² + Greek kratos power

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Such examples proliferate in philosophy too: The standard example of the much-studied phenomenon of akrasia, weakness of the will, is succumbing to a cookie.

From New York Times • Jan. 3, 2022

Gyms, by contrast, are in the akrasia business.

From Slate • Jan. 3, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023