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velleity

[ vuh-lee-i-tee ]
/ vəˈli ɪ ti /
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noun, plural vel·le·i·ties.
volition in its weakest form.
a mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it.
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Origin of velleity

1610–20; <New Latin velleitās, equivalent to Latin velle to be willing + -itās-ity

Words nearby velleity

velic, veliger, Velikiye Luki, velitation, velites, velleity, vellicate, Vellore, vellum, vellus, Velma
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

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Words related to velleity

imagination, inclination, affection, appetite, aptitude, bias, capability, desire, disposition, impulse, leaning, penchant, predilection, predisposition, preference, prejudice, proclivity, propensity, temperament, affinity

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 Feuerbach

  • But 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) /
noun plural -ties rare
the weakest level of desire or volition
a mere wish

Word Origin for velleity

C17: 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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