Word of the Day

: April 10, 2008

velleity

noun vuh-LEE-uh-tee

What It Means

1 : the lowest degree of volition

2 : a slight wish or tendency : inclination

velleity in Context

Samuel sometimes mentions that he would like to go back to school, but his interest strikes me as more of a velleity than a firm statement of purpose.

Did You Know?

Allow us, if you will, to volunteer our knowledge about "velleity." It is a derivative of the New Latin noun "velleitas," from the Latin verb "velle," meaning "to wish or will." You might also wish to know that "velle" is the word that gave us "voluntary" (by way of Anglo-French "voluntarie" and Latin "voluntarius") and "volunteer" (by way of French "voluntaire"). While both of those words might imply a wish to do something (specifically, to offer one's help) and the will to act upon it, the less common "velleity" refers to a wish or inclination that is so insignificant that a person feels little or no compulsion to act.