willpower

American  

[wil-poh-er] / ˈwɪlˌpoʊ ər /

Or will power

noun

1. control of one's impulses and actions; self-control.

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willpower British  

/ ˈwɪlˌpaʊə /

noun

1. the ability to control oneself and determine one's actions

2. firmness of will

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Etymology

Origin of willpower

First recorded in 1870–75; will ² ( def. ) + power ( def. )

Explanation

Willpower is the ability to control or restrain yourself. If you bake brownies and can keep yourself from tasting them until after dinner, you can thank your willpower. A less descriptive — but simpler — way to say willpower is simply will. Whichever word you prefer, you can use it to describe someone's deliberate or purposeful control. In the case of willpower, the person is likely to be resisting a temptation or impulse. It takes willpower not to argue with someone whose opinions make you angry, and willpower to eat just one potato chip.

Example Sentences

Willpower is not this magic thing inside you, instead your ability to stick to something is "about the way you've arranged the world around you," he says.

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2025

Willpower might be key to getting off the couch to exercise, but bacteria may lend a helping hand.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 14, 2022

Willpower and discipline work only if they feel good to you.

From Washington Post • Dec. 11, 2022

Willpower, then, is a word ascribed to people who manage to do what they said they were going to do: it’s a judgment about their behaviour.

From The Guardian • Jan. 7, 2017

“I just made up my mind to do it. Willpower. Willpower goes a long way toward getting what you want, Pilar.”

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Related Words

• firmness
• grit
• self-control
• self-discipline